


Beautiful Jewel

by drhicks76



Series: The Mindfang Journals - The Life and Loves of Marquise Spinneret Mindfang [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Ancestor-Era, Ancestors, Caliginous Romance | Kismesis, Canon Compliant, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Femslash, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Red Romance, Xeno, longfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-11
Updated: 2013-03-29
Packaged: 2017-11-20 21:18:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 83,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/589734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drhicks76/pseuds/drhicks76
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Porrim Maryam, once known as Dolorosa, has endured much as of late: the gruesome loss of her adopted son and the dissolution of the Signless' band of messengers.  She has spent the last lunar perigee in the hands of Imperial soldiers undergoing interrogation.  One night, however, her warden, known to her as Mindfang, does something she never could have expected: tries to earn her trust.  Porrim, who has never made much time in her life for herself, finds Mindfang's unorthodox methods rather surprising...</p><p>This is the first chapter of "Beautiful Jewel", my "as canon as possible" Mindfang/Dolorosa/Dualscar tale (and the first story of a trilogy which is nearing completion).  Just so you know what you folks are getting into, it most definitely NSFW, but mostly because something that would be depicted in Mindfang's Journals would be as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! This tale covers, as best as I can, the acquisition of Dolorosa by Mindfang, Mindfang's kismesissitude with Dualscar, and all of the events that follow. You may wonder where a certain scene that is mentioned in the first page of Mindfang's Diary is, but be assured that it will be addressed in time!
> 
> This is my first attempt at writing "erotic fiction", but keep in mind that this is about The Story first and foremost; I don't sacrifice the narrative for the sake of cheap thrills. It's Femslash longfic (about 164 pages in Word), and I should tell you what you will and won't find. The first chapter is pretty tame, but things heat up eventually...
> 
> Guess I should make like Kankri and give you a trigger list:
> 
> What's NOT in this story: gore, urophilia, scat, vicious torture.
> 
> What you WILL encounter later on: explicit (but generally consensual) lesbian sexuality (because consensual is sexy), female ejaculation (biological necessity), light bondage, light nookplay, spanking, mild BDSM themes, psychological manipulation (Hello! It's Mindfang!), a couple of violent scenes, major character death (but if you're reading this, you probably already knew that was coming).
> 
> Also, I don't personally subscribe to the tentabulge theory, but if you do, make like Wallace in "Scott Pilgrim" and just pretend they have them if it makes you enjoy it more.
> 
> This story is actually complete, so don't worry, you'll get to see it all. In fact, I have already begun the second book (Mindfang/Redglare) and plan a third (Mindfang/Summoner), so if you like what you see, there's plenty more to come (unless you all call me a Bad Homestuck for doing this, but I strongly suspect I'm certainly not the first).
> 
> Readers, please note that this is still going through final editing, so it will be released serially. There are 16 chapters, an epilogue and a coda.
> 
> A HUGE THANK YOU to my wife for being the first to read this. Sorry it's no "Fifty Shades of Grey" (*sigh*) but I can't thank you enough for the INCREDIBLE artwork! You can see it on Tumblr here: [Beautiful Jewel on Tumblr](http://drhicks76.tumblr.com/post/35830193737/this-is-the-stunning-art-my-wife-lynnai-created-as)
> 
> Or, much bigger on dA if you prefer: [Beautiful Jewel Art on dA](http://drhicks76.deviantart.com/art/Beautiful-Jewel-Fanfic-Cover-Art-337996109)
> 
> Another HUGE THANKS goes to user [Mercale](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercale), who not only provided the final edits for this, but also showed me how to effectively manage this wonderful place called Ao3. If you haven't read her Homestuck pieces yet, go stalk her. You'll be glad you did! 
> 
> ALSO: this is VERY much a multimedia experience! This is the "soundtrack" for the story! It served as an outline of sorts, and now fits the story well. I WILL be updating the first and last songs on the list with cover versions in the near future! This is totally optional, but will make the experience more interesting, I assure you! You can download it here: [Beautiful Jewel Soundtrack](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64694493/BEAUTIFUL%20JEWEL.zip)
> 
> Without further blathering, I present "Beautiful Jewel". May you find it as much fun to read as it was for me to write.

** **

**1.**  
  
    She gazed out of the small windows of her cell but the harsh red glare of the Alternian sun did not hurt her eyes in the least.  She stood still and drank in what little light made it through and sighed.  By her reckoning, at least one perigee had passed since she found herself here and still she wondered what could have been done differently to avoid this fate.  As the sun began to set and the last flickers of crimson ebbed away through the leaves of distant trees, her thoughts turned as they always did to those who were close to her heart and were lost to her forever, especially the one she had raised as her own.    
  
    She sat down on the bed in the middle of the room and collected her thoughts. There was little in this respiteblock of concrete walls other than the basics.  She had a recupracoon in the corner, but this large, plush and rather garish bed stuck out like a sore horn; a luxury so conspicuous in its presence that its purpose was painfully obvious.  If nothing else, it was comfortable at least, and although it took the passing of many days and nights before she could allow herself to sit on it, she came to accept it for what it was.   _A cage within a cage,_ she thought as she ran her palm along the smooth, silvery fabric with one hand and picked up one of the arm restraints clasped to the bed frame with the other.  She released it and it clanked against the metal rails loudly enough to give her a start.    
     
    She rose to her feet again and began the first steps of the slow pacing circuit she conducted herself along every evening.  She found it relaxed her and was almost like a meditation, but there were far too many nights that her thoughts eventually drifted towards her friends and the pain washed over her anew.  She understood that the crippling boredom that she endured night after night was nothing compared to the horrors experienced by the others: their torture and death or exile to places far worse than she could imagine.   _And all because someone dared to suggest that perhaps there was more to life than killing and conquering,_ she thought, trying to focus on each footstep so that the rage that rose in her throat would subside more swiftly.    
  
    She had little company.  From what she gathered she was the only prisoner in the area, which seemed to be little more than a bare room with bars across the one open wall.  There weren't even guards directly outside the cell door; she assumed any security was stationed outside the one door in and out of the room.  Her only visitors were the "warden" and her attendants, and those visits tended to be sporadic.  Prisoner though she was, she suspected that this was not a standard jail, nor was her warden a standard jailor.  Most of the time, the visits resulted in her slipping into unconsciousness after being forcibly restrained, and when she awoke, she was always undressed and alone, but free to move.  She was unharmed, aside from the bruises from the wrist and ankle bands, and although finding herself naked after each visit was somewhat unsettling, she was unmarked and intact, and her black and green robe was always at hand for her to dress herself.   _If this were a usual prison,_ she thought, _I don't suspect my bones would have remained unbroken this long_.  Alternian jails were not known for their comforts, and especially not for having plush beds.  What they were known for, though, were corporal acts too terrifying to contemplate.  This thought made her shudder and she closed her eyes and focused again on her slow circuit around the bed.    
  
    She could never tell when her visitors would come.  In fact, she had little recollection of what actually took place when they did.  They obviously drugged her each time, and she could guess at the purpose of doing so: interrogation.  She had little to tell them; as far as she knew, her small fellowship of rebels was no more.  One, he who represented their greatest hope, had died in a most terrible manner; one was in the hands of the Imperious Condesence Herself, or so her captors had told her; and the last one was, through a stunningly uncharacteristic show of compassion by the Executor, able to escape and was now living in exile somewhere.  She herself was now a political prisoner, and she knew full well what usually happened to those.  This is what made the fact that she was still alive and intact all the more peculiar.  Yet what could they possibly ask her about?  She knew that many of her race were starting to hear the Signless's message, but she certainly didn't stop and take names; to do so would have been foolish and pointless.  Besides, so many tended to keep their true names hidden, opting instead to be known by aliases as the Signless himself did.  She had one of her own, from a language she did not know. It was a fitting one considering her role in the Signless's early life and what would have become of him had she not adopted him as her own, but also his untimely demise and what most called him now that he had passed on due to the manner of his death: The Sufferer.  Only those closest to him knew the name she had given to him as a child:  Kankri Vantas, but that hardly mattered now.  "The Signless" was something that would carry on long after he was gone.  Her own name was known to few as well, but the one who used it most now was the one who kept her here, and she had such a strange way of saying...  
  
    "Porrrrrrrrim..."  
  
    She snapped her head to face those who stood at the front of her cell: the one called Mindfang or "The Marquise" and her host of guards.   Mindfang, which she assumed to be an alias as well, was decked out in her black leather overcoat and red knee high boots with a massive blue scimitar hanging from her belt as was her custom.  Porrim found it rather off-putting and somewhat intimidating, which was likely the desired result.  She took two swift steps backwards and almost fell onto the bed, but managed to recover her stance as gracefully as she could.    
  
    Mindfang shook her head and smiled tightly.  "Porrim, really.   After all of this time, you still don't trust me?"  
  
    It took Porrim a moment to regain her composure before she spoke.  "Trust you?  Every time you come here, you have your guards pin me to the bed and restrain me before you render me unconscious and do who knows what to me!  Do you actually think that's the sort of activity that builds trust?"  
  
    Mindfang put her bottom lip out in an injured expression.  "You wound me, dear," she said, putting a hand to her chest. "Do you not wake up completely intact every time?  I assure you that if you had stayed where I rescued you from, that would not have been the case!"  
  
    "Faint comfort..." muttered Porrim.  She moved quickly to the far side of the room, putting the bed between her and those who stood outside the bars, making it quite clear to them that she would not suffer the usual treatment without whatever resistance she could muster.  She watched the expression on her warden's face change ever so slightly, so that it seemed to her that the look of sadness appeared genuine.    
  
    In a fluid movement, Mindfang took the keys for the door from her coat pocket and then swiftly removed the jacket.  She tossed it to the floor, turned to her guards and said, "Leave us."  The rustblood she addressed gave her a look that suggested that this was a foolish course of action until she patted the hilt of her sword and added, "I'm quite certain that if our guest gives me any serious trouble, I'm more than capable of dealing with anything she throws at me.  Now, go.  As of this moment, you will not enter this room without my word; the droids are to provide her meals.  Porrim is absolutely correct; it's high time I showed her the depths of my hospitality."  
  
    At this, Porrim looked carefully at Mindfang's face, particularly her strange eyes, anticipating a hint of a double meaning that would suggest she could expect to finally face physical harm, but saw no blatant sign that she was in imminent danger.  The guards took their exit; the one Mindfang had addressed in particular gave her another questioning glance, which she returned with a fierce scowl.  He hastened his departure accordingly.    
  
    The Marquise now turned her attention to the woman behind the bars.  She sauntered up and placed the key in the lock.  A quiet click and the door slid open.  Porrim clenched her hands into fists and opened her eyes wide, still scanning Mindfang's visage for any hint of duplicity.  The door was closed and locked again; there was a keyport on both sides of the door and this suddenly struck Porrim as somewhat odd.  Mindfang made her way to the bed and sat down on it with her back to her prisoner, which elevated that odd feeling to one of outright surprise.  Mindfang patted the silver topsheet and asked, "Why don't you come join me here?  I promise that I won't hurt you at all."    
  
    She could scarcely believe this was happening.  In the span of mere minutes, she had gone from expecting to be wrestled kicking and screaming to the bed to be restrained and drugged to having her captor sitting so close to her with back turned and a useable weapon in reach.  The keys to her freedom were so tantalizingly close; it would only take a split second to completely change her fate.  This sudden shift in fortune caught her off-balance, and she wasn't used to that at all; she was exceptionally calm by nature and level-headed unless provoked.  Many died or were horribly wounded at her hand the night the soldiers took her and her adopted family, and she was more than capable of killing when the situation demanded it, though she took absolutely no pleasure from it.  This, however, was a completely different matter:  she was not being attacked at all.  In fact, she was being offered a place to sit and speak with someone in a non-violent manner, free from intimidation.  There was no imbalance of power represented by the cadre of soldiers that always accompanied Mindfang... until now.  All of these thoughts raced through her mind in less time than it took her to breathe twice.  She swallowed, went to speak, and found she didn't quite know what to say.  Mindfang also didn't speak, but continued to slowly move her hand back and forth over the space on the bed where she invited Porrim to sit beside her.  
  
    _This woman had no hand in our capture,_ Porrim thought as she regarded Mindfang's long fingers being drawn smoothly over the covers.   _She has not actively hurt me to my knowledge... was it a mercy to put me to my sleep while those who took what they could from my mind did so?_  In that instant, the plan to overpower the Marquise fell away and she walked slowly from behind the bed to the opposite corner of the room so that she could face Mindfang and observe her.  She kept her arms crossed and her posture straight in an effort to display as much courage as she could, but still kept silent.    
  
    Mindfang returned her gaze and sighed, almost impatiently.  "What more would you like me to do?  The guards are gone.  It's just you and me now, and my word that I won't hurt you."  Porrim's eyes flicked to the ornate handle of the sword, which bore an obvious resemblance to one of Mindfang's horns, and lingered there.  "What, this?" she asked, dropping her right hand to grasp the hilt. "I told you I wouldn't harm you, and this most certainly could do that if I wanted it to, but I gave you my word.  In fact, here... why don't you take it?"  She undid the sword from her belt and tossed it to the floor where it clattered noisily.  Porrim regarded it as if it were a lethal slitherbeast at first, almost expecting it to rise from the floor of its own accord and slit her throat before she could even think of defending herself, but it remained right where it fell and did not stir.  Mindfang suddenly broke into a wide smile; her long fangs were quite visible yet it wasn't a fearsome expression, but one of bemusement.  "You should see your eyes right now!  Like two yellow moons!" She laughed and patted the bed again.  "Come on now.  Pick it up if you like and bring it with you.  I trust you'll look after it for me."  
  
    Porrim suddenly became quite aware that she was staring at the curved sword on the floor: another offer of an opportunity to take her leave by violence against someone who, as far as she knew, had not inflicted any herself.  How could she possibly even consider doing so?  She looked up at Mindfang's smiling face and found herself having difficulty reconciling this person as the one who was having her bound and injected with mind-numbing chemicals.  In fact, she only ever saw that face as her eyes were closing; as far as she could tell, the Marquise was telling her the truth about never harming her personally.  Why was she so reluctant to hear what she had to say?  The woman just lobbed a sword at her, for crying out loud:  an instrument that could be used to destroy her... and for what reason?  These were not the actions of someone looking to harm someone else.  Slowly and deliberately, Porrim bent forward and took hold of the scimitar.  The heft of the blade surprised her; it was an electric blue colour, cold and smooth to the touch, but the hooked blade on the end reminded her that this was a tool that served a single grim purpose.  Why would she dare to do this?  Unless...  
  
    "How do I know that you don't have another blade on you to counter this one if I chose to use it?" she asked, giving Mindfang a stern look.  
  
    Mindfang smiled again, even broader than before.  "Porrrrrrrrim!  I should be disappointed that you still won't give me the benefit of the doubt, but quite the opposite, actually.  I'm impressed that you would think of it, to be perfectly honest.  Very well, then.  Allow me to demonstrate that I am completely unarmed."  She extended her left leg, and then slowly removed her bright red boot.  Once it was free, she turned it upside down and gave it a slight shake.  Nothing came forth.  Returning her gaze to Porrim, she slipped the other boot off as well and did the same, with identical results.  She used her bare foot to shove the discarded boots away from the bed far enough for her to rise from it, which she did in one smooth motion.  
  
    "Still not convinced?" Mindfang enquired, looking Porrim in the face as she started to unbutton the ruffled white shirt she wore.    
   
    If Porrim was having difficulty finding words a few minutes earlier, she was completely struck dumb at this point, which was not something she was used to being.  She watched as Mindfang undid every button of her elaborate blouse, and when they were all unclasped, she grasped each side of the shirt, opened it and gave it a few full shakes, in order to show that she had no concealed blades or guns of any sort.  Porrim was able to glimpse much of Mindfang's slender body and noticed there were a few scars on it; this was someone who had experienced her fair share of adventure.  She was obviously a blue blood of some type, based on the shade of those old wounds as well as that of her nipples, which she was surprised at how willing Mindfang was to allow those to be seen.  She was admittedly taken aback by this brash display and was caught between feeling envious of the Marquise's courage and self-confidence and, strangely, slightly overwhelmed at this show of trust on HER part:  giving up her sword and going to great lengths to prove that she was not carrying any other weapon.  Was it shame at her own mistrust she was feeling?   _I'm the prisoner here, after all; it's not as though I could simply leave of my own free will,_ she thought to herself.    
  
    Mindfang seated herself back down on the bed and patted a spot to her left.  "Now, will you please join me?  I couldn't harm you if I wanted to, and I certainly do not want to."  
   
    Porrim drew a breath and, with sword in hand, began to walk towards her captor, thinking all the while _I can't believe I'm actually doing this..._  She stood a short distance from Mindfang now, but still couldn't quite make herself sit.  She looked once more at this person, her jailor of all things, sitting on the bed with her shirt undone, smiling away as she beckoned Porrim to join her.  She closed her eyes, swallowed hard and sat about an arm's length away from the bed's other occupant, half expecting to feel a hand on her throat at any moment.  When it didn't come, she opened her eyes to see Mindfang quietly gazing at her, still smiling.  She took a long look at her right eye, which she now noticed had a peculiar seven pupils: six of them encircling another in the center.  She didn't find it at all grotesque, just unusual; she couldn't help but almost stare.    
   
    "See something interesting?" asked Mindfang, gently.  "It's okay if you want to look... I don't mind at all.  Just know that there are plenty of other things to look at if you like..."    
  
    Porrim didn't quite understand at first and, without thinking, her eyes flicked to Mindfang's bare chest, barely concealed by the thin white shirt. She quickly averted her gaze.  "I'm... I'm sorry, I... don't mean to... It's impolite, I know."  
  
    Mindfang reached over and placed a hand on top of hers.  "It's quite alright.  It's nothing I'm not completely comfortable with.  I'm happy in my own skin.  I've earned every single scar and nick on this hide of mine.  What's important to me right now is that you feel safe with me." She paused, looked down for a moment, then back to Porrim.  "Do you?"  
  
    She felt the warmth of Mindfang's hand on her own and found herself relaxing somewhat.  "For now..." she replied. "So far, so good."  She breathed in and found the scents of tanned animal hide and a hint of salt mixed with a soft floral tinge; she realized most of it likely came from the jacket the Marquise wore and that it lingered on her skin even when she wasn't wearing it.  She found it an odd combination but far from unpleasant.  
  
    Mindfang smiled that smile of hers again.  "Excellent!  Building trust is important.  Let me offer you something else..." Porrim gave her an uncertain look.  "An exchange of information.  Here's what I propose: you can ask me any question you like, and I will give you an honest answer, but in return, I get to ask you something and you must do the same.  Are you willing to try this?"    
  
    She thought for a moment, then offered, "If this is a means of trying to find out more about my friends, I assure you there's nothing else I can tell you.  I know you and yours have pried information out of me against my will, and I'm certain your methods were likely effective enough to retrieve what little information I have about anyone else other than those I cared about who died or been captured by the Condesce's forces.  In fact, that's what I want to know: why am I here, in this place, instead of a regular jail?"  
  
    Mindfang considered her answer for a moment, and then squeezed Porrim's hand lightly.  "Very well.  You're here because when they brought you in for processing after the Signless met his end, I happened to be there visiting a... friend of mine, such as he is, and I noticed you.  I could tell that there was something unique about you, even from afar, so I negotiated the rights to your imprisonment in exchange for what information the Condesce's agents could get from you in the space of one lunar perigee.  That perigee has now passed, which has finally enabled me to do what I'm doing right now: kicking those agents out and finally getting to know you better.  I could tell that a regular jail would have been a truly awful experience for someone like you, and whatever quarrel the Condesce has with you and your group, I certainly don't share it.  The thought of someone as special as yourself being broken down by those thugs horrified me, so I acted.  And now you're here.  I can't apologize enough for what's happened to you over the last few weeks, but it's over now, I swear this to you.  No one is going to hold you down and put those restraints on you ever again... unless you... well, never mind that."  She quickly looked away for a moment.    
  
    "So why me?  What makes me so unique that I was worth saving?  I raised the Signless from a grub, which makes me as dangerous in their eyes as he.  Why am I not suffering the same fate?"  
  
    Mindfang shook her head.  "Ah, ah, aaaaaaaah..." she chided, "I said I would answer one of your questions, and I did just that.  Now, it's my turn.  Are you ready?"  
  
    Porrim stopped herself short from pressing the issue further, realized that she had actually asked her question, and decided that she would consider both what she was just told and what she was about to be asked very carefully.  "I suppose..."  
  
    "Gooooooood." Mindfang looked at her hand, which was still resting on Porrim's, and then back up to her eyes. "Then tell me this:  when was the last time you've been with someone in a... concupiscent manner?"  
  
    Porrim was genuinely shocked by the question and her expression gave that shock away involuntarily.  She pulled back her hand and put it in her lap with the other one.  Mindfang looked slightly crestfallen, as though she would not see her end of the bargain fulfilled.  Porrim got up and took a few steps towards the corner again.  Her mind whirled at what was occurring and she took a minute to come up with a response.  "That seems a bit forward, doesn't it? Why would you want to know that?"

  
    Mindfang sighed, her shoulders dropped as well.  "I thought it was my turn to ask the question?"  
  
    Porrim's thoughts raced through her memories as she considered how to respond.  She could feel the heat rising to her face as she tried to decide what to say, and feared the ensuing mocking and derision at her response.  Still facing away from the woman on the bed, she spoke quietly, "I haven't."  
  
    Mindfang cocked her head in an effort to hear.  "I didn't catch that, dear... say it again?"  
  
    She turned to face her and repeated it. "I haven't been.  Ever.  Not like... The way I think you mean.  No buckets... or anything like that.  At all."  She put a hand over her eyes to shield herself from the laughter she expected.  When it didn't come, she peeked between her fingers to see something that shocked her more than any of the events that day had done to that point:  the Marquise struck absolutely speechless.  Her mouth hung open and the look of stunned surprise on her face was unquestionably legitimate.  "In fact," she continued, "I have never even kissed anyone, man or woman, in a romantic way.  My duties to the Mother Grub gave me no time for such things, and when I finally left, I was so busy raising Kankr... I mean, the Signless, and then running for our lives from the Condesce's soldiers, that I never had any opportunity.  And now, I don't know if I ever will.   Just... circumstances, I guess."  She waited for the laughter.  None came; just more silent, wide-eyed surprise from Mindfang, who slowly stood up from the bed and moved towards her.  Porrim's eyes darted around as she sought an escape route, but then remembered the sword was in her hand if she needed it.    
  
    As Mindfang drew nearer, she held out her left hand palm up and looked at Porrim in hopes she would accept the invitation.  Porrim searched that face with the odd but captivating eyes again, looking for something that wasn't there.  A pause... and then her hand was in the other woman's.  She had no idea what was coming next but suddenly the floral scent was much stronger as Mindfang had slipped her arms under Porrim's and embraced her tightly.   She froze for a moment as the touch was almost like an overload to her body; it was overwhelming and the entire gamut of emotions she had experienced over the previous moments cycled through her mind.  The feeling of someone holding her, however, was a pleasant one and an excitement flooded through her without warning.  The hand holding the sword trembled for a moment, and then loosed its burden, resulting in another jarring clank, but this time she didn't startle and instead raised that hand as well as the other to Mindfang's back and returned the gesture.  As she did so, Mindfang pulled her in closer and rested her head on Porrim's shoulder.  Her scent was now front and center and Porrim drank it in; as she did so, she couldn't help but notice Mindfang's chest was now pressed up against her own and she felt both the other woman's heart beating as well as two defined points against her chest.  She involuntarily flushed and felt both a shiver pulse down her neck and a warmth building between her legs.  She inhaled sharply, closed her eyes and drank in the sensation.  
  
    After what seemed like a day to Porrim but was only moments, Mindfang let go of her and let her hand sweep down Porrim's lower back and slightly beyond, which caused her to shiver again.  She never took her eyes off of Porrim's as she stepped backwards, and started to button up her blouse.  Porrim watched as she sat back down on the bed and pulled her scarlet boots back on, then rose once more and returned towards her.  Without speaking, she picked her sword up off the floor and reattached it to her belt.  Porrim was still watching her every move, mouth ever so slightly open, trying to process what had just taken place, but conscious that the other was now once again armed.  Mindfang realized what she was thinking; she stopped and reached her hands into her thick hair, which came out holding a large golden earring.  "I did give you my sword, didn't I?  Well, it would look rather odd if I happened to show up elsewhere without it, so would you be willing to accept a trade?  This was my very first earring, the first piece of loot I ever... obtained.  It's something I always keep with me, as a reminder of where I came from.  Would you be able to look after it for me instead of my sword until I come back?  I'll swap it back with you as soon as I return here.  I trust you'll take good care of it?"    
  
    All Porrim could do was silently nod.  Mindfang gave her another wide smile as she took Porrim's hand in hers again and this time placed the thick gold hoop in her hand, closing her fingers around it.  Without saying another word, she slipped the key out of its pouch on her belt and opened the door.  A moment later, the cell door was closed again, the leather overcoat was gone and all that was heard were the footsteps down the hallway and another door opening and closing again.    
  
    Porrim stood unmoving for a long time as she thought about what had just transpired.  In the span of maybe an hour, she had gone from seeing Mindfang as her jailblock warden to being so completely disarmed by the woman that she not only allowed her to hold her, but actually found herself returning the embrace.  She had seen many things in her life, so many of them dark and sad, but very few times had she experienced something (someone?) move from darkness to light so quickly.  It affected her on a fundamental level and left her questioning the very nature of how she saw her situation.  It was many moments before she began her pacing journey again, but as she did, she found her mind visiting thoughts that she had never had before.  And as she continued on her path the rest of the night, until she saw the sun's red rays trickle in the small window once again, she held the earring in her hand, only setting it down on the bed as she undressed to slide into her recupracoon with hopes that she would find some answers in her slumber.


	2. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orphaner Dualscar, a high ranking Imperial admiral, has a brief meeting with his caliginous lover and discusses a certain jadeblooded prisoner with her. The dynamic between Ampora and Mindfang is explored here and sets up their relationship in this story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's Cronus. I decided to carry over some of his lecherous traits into Dualscar, not to mention his hemohierarchist beliefs. His interactions with Mindfang are almost over-the-top but fit their characters quite nicely. I must admit, I had a blast writing Mindfang here! ::::) It was fun to write this sort of thing, and I hope you enjoy it. The meat of the story isn't far away... 
> 
> Again, I recommend the Soundtrack for the tale. Some of the songs there will give you an idea how I plan to "play" these characters in the story (e.g. "Caligulove" by Them Crooked Vultures suits Dualscar just perfectly).

**2.**

  
    He stood on the dock, watching the drones unload the latest collection of lowblood, land-dwelling trash and wondering how many more would dare to speak of the Signless... or the Sufferer or whatever they wanted to call that mutant these days.  The prisons were becoming overcrowded; nothing a visit from the Grand Highblood, or any subjuggalator for that matter, wouldn't take care of.  Still, he couldn't understand what would drive generally rational and Condesce-fearing trolls to suddenly embrace the maniacal preachings of an obvious madman; violence was their very purpose and the idea of shunning that simply didn't compute in his mind.  And it wasn't as though near-royalty like him kept their hands clean; he was one of the most feared admirals in the Condesce's Royal Navy and earned the name "Orphaner" for a very good reason.  He considered the oceans the domain of the elite and anyone who dared to venture far from shore would receive the punishment they deserved.  It was he, after all, who sunk the Signless's ship once and for all, and brought that sorry excuse for a would-be messiah to the justice he'd deserved.  He hoped that it would bring favour from the Condesce herself, which was his primary motivation for doing pretty much anything he did.   This wasn't just the blind worship conducted by most trolls; he had not only met her but thought that only someone as noble and purple-blooded as himself could possibly be an ideal matesprit for her.  However, she was now out on a mission; perhaps the ultimate mission that would cement their race as the dominant one in this pathetic galaxy full of empty-headed fools who didn't understand that science was their superior and those who knew how to wield it effectively deserved to be the overlords.  He was going to have to consider other options for filling his quadrants if she was going to be gone for a few thousand sweeps, though.

    His first surprise of the day came when he noticed a teal-blood among the pathetic excuses being herded off of the prison boat; his second came when he heard a voice coming from right behind him...  
     
    "Croooooooonus..."

    He spun to face the speaker with a snarl on his face as he instinctively dropped into a combat stance.  Once the automatic response he had trained himself to use was completed, he relaxed and drew himself up to his full height with all the dignity at his disposal.  "You can start calling me Admiral Ampora anytime now.  I don't give a damn how many lowbloods are around, I would be more than happy to give you a not-so-gentle reminder of your place in things."

    Mindfang just rolled her eyes at him.  "Oh, please.  You like it.  You're just happy someone is calling your name for some reason, no?"

    He adjusted his posture again so that he was standing as straight as could be in front of her.  "I would be a lot happier if you were calling it for other reasons altogether..."

    "Don't bother hoisting the yardarm, Cronus.  I have other plans right now."

    He looked at her curiously.  "Hmm... other plans for your flushed feelings or for me in general?"

    She snorted.  "Really?  You even have to ask that?  I'm busy putting holes in your boats for fun and making off with whatever loot I can and you would have red feelings for me?  I'd hate to see what it would take to make you wax black for someone!"

    Ampora tugged down his uniform coat as his face returned to its most common state: a sneer.  "Listen here, 'Marquise', the only reason I tolerate what you do at all is because maybe deep down, I think that you're quite talented and honestly, your talents would be best served by serving under me.  And I mean that in every sense possible."

    "You know, this is why I like you," she said, "you're so consistently predictable.  Always thinking with your harpoon, and I don't mean the one slung over your shoulder, either."

    He put his face right up to hers and made a leering grin. "How do you know they're not one and the same, hmmm?"

    "Ugggh," she groaned and began walking down the wooden deck.  "See what I mean?  I swear, considering how let your bonebulge lead you around it's a wonder you can accomplish anything other than strut about like a violet-plumed preybird.  And do you know what happens to them?" She whirled on her boot to face him again.  "They get eaten eventually."

    "Really!  So what you're saying is if I wait long enough, you'll eat me, then?  I look forward to the day!"

    Mindfang sighed loudly.  "I thought you had designs on the Condesce herself, Dualscar.  Why waste your energies on a lowly little blue blood pirate like me?"  

    He strode up to her angrily.  "I told you not to talk about that in public!" he hissed.  For a brief moment, the desire to strike her crept into his mind, but he collected himself quickly, looked around to see who was watching or listening, and then smoothed his tunic down again.  "That is NOT common knowledge and I would like to keep it that way!  Besides, she's away on business right now.  Might not be back for quite some time.  I would certainly welcome some company in the interim, especially that of someone who knows the ways of the sea as well as I do..."

    "Oh, come on now.  I'm just a land-dweller who happened to figure out how to help herself to the bounty of the ocean.  Shouldn't I be on your list of people to kill, too?   How dare a lowlife, finless loser like me intrude upon your pristine waters!  At least, that's what you'd say about anyone else who you find to be doing the same.   What's so special about me?  Aside from the obvious, of course."

    Ampora managed to find his smirk again.  "Well, if you must know, you're as beautiful as any jewel I've ever encountered, and there are so very few who would even dare to speak to me as you do.  That smacks of a fair depth of courage!"

    "Oh!  That reminds me why I'm here!"  She strutted past him down the dock to watch the crews process the new group of prisoners.  "I must thank you for that beautiful jewel of a jadeblood you let me take home.  She is, in fact, the real deal!"

    Cronus raised an eyebrow. "We already knew that from the data and samples you provided to us.  How did you come to this conclusion through other means?"

    "A lady has her ways..." she purred.  "I did something that most highbloods wouldn't even consider doing."

    "And what might THAT be, hmmmm?"  He was always quite eager to hear of her interrogation methods.  She tended to be quite successful where others failed; one of the many traits he found so attractive about her.  

    Mindfang looked over her shoulder to see his face when she told him.  "I talked to her.  Simply went into her cell and had a conversation, which I wasn't allowed to do until now as part of the deal.  Well, I'm here to remind you that your stake in her is finished and I can do with her as I please."

    A disgusted expression crossed his face.  "I can't argue with your results, but I gotta say that you've always seemed more than willing to crawl into the dirt with those lower than yourself on the scale.  Why are you so eager to stoop down to their level?"

    She laughed, quick and sharp.  "Isn't that what you're doing right now, Cronus?  Consorting with someone in a lower bloodcaste?  In fact, were you not just propositioning me moments ago?"

    He inhaled and breathed out through clenched teeth.  "I am willing to look past that in your case. You're an exceptional woman, and frankly, you'd be lucky to have me. You could certainly do a whole lot worse."

    She gave him a tight smile and touched his face, then turned to leave.  "Perhaps, but I doubt you could do much better than me!  We'll talk later, when you're feeling a little less flushed, perhaps?"  

    Ampora watched the wind billow out her overcoat as she marched up the stairs and back to the vintage hovervehicle she arrived at the docks in.  She was, for all intensive purposes, a criminal:  someone who couldn't even sail her ship into these docks without having a horde of armed soldiers waiting for her.  Yet she served an important function as a mercenary and interrogator; the information she provided the Empire was invaluable.  He was in awe of all that she was capable of, and she knew of his rank and fame but still remained unimpressed by it.  

    "What she sees in those rustbloods is beyond me," he muttered.  He turned his focus on the drones and watched impassively as they marked the prisoners and prepared them to be transported for their judgements.  "This will keep the legislacerators busy for sweeps," he thought out loud.  He looked over the large group of trolls being herded through the gate and took Ahab's Crosshairs into his hands.  Perhaps the Condesce would appreciate it if someone attended to her lusus's needs while she was away.  At least someone would appreciate him then, and just maybe he could reduce the legislacerators' workload by a fair margin at the same time. _Win-win situation,_ he thought, _unless you were one of the Sufferer's fools..._


	3. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her first encounter with the Marquise, Porrim finds herself wondering what awaits her. The answer arrives in tall scarlet boots and results in another lesson in the nature of love and trust. Some lessons, however, take time to be properly applied and sometimes teachers can get a little too far ahead of themselves... This chapter takes us into slightly more torrid territory, but begins to set up the unusual relationship between Porrim and Mindfang and what's coming in the not-too-distant future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's Chapter 3, in which things get a little more... iiiiiiiiinteresting between Porrim and her keeper. 
> 
> As for the story, it continues from Porrim's point-of-view and deals with her attempts to reconcile the idea of her captivity and the idea of exploring romance for the first time in her life (even if it is under a less-than-common set of circumstances). We also get to see the seductive spider work her magic...
> 
> From a writer's perspective, pacing is everything here, and I'll say it was a challenge to get things to move at a comfortable speed between these two. Keep in mind what Ms. Mindfang is capable of; it's more than just outright physical manipul8ion. Her empathic gifts are just as prominent...
> 
> Hope you enjoy it! And if you do, pass it on! ::::) Note that these three quick updates are not indicative of how often I will be updating from here on. These first three chapters were also available on Tumblr and deviantArt, and the fourth is ready to go. The rest is still going through final edit, and I will post them as they become available. The story IS finished, though, have no worries. I will update about every week or two until it's done. I'm about halfway through the next book as I type this (Dec. 13/12), so lots more to come!

** **

**3.**  
  
    The next days brought a few changes.  The first night, Porrim found her meditative circuit disrupted by the guards, who showed up without Mindfang in tow.  She was told to remain in the corner of the room while carpenter droids performed some maintenance; she complied as there was no point in doing otherwise considering how much firepower was aimed in her direction.  Once they had completed their work, they locked the cell again and left.  She inspected their handiwork to find her ablution trap had undergone a significant upgrade: what was once a simple metal catchbasin with a tap was replaced with a larger, marble one that actually produced hot water when turned on!  At first, Porrim was excited by this; she literally could not remember the last time she'd experienced such a luxury, but she suddenly became self-conscious of her own hygiene.  All of those scents that swirled around Mindfang were etched in her mind, but she wondered what she must have smelled of to her guest ( _Guest?  She keeps you locked in a cage,_ said a voice in her head), considering the only means she had to clean the slime off of herself when she awoke was cold water without even so much as a rag to scrub herself with.    
  
    Porrim ran her hand over the smooth, cream coloured surface of the new ablution trap and noticed a small bottle inside of it.  She picked it up and took a whiff: it had a gentle but complex scent; she found it quite similar to what Mindfang's scent was, without the leather and sea salt.  She found herself smiling, both at the prospect of enjoying a hot bath, but at the pleasant tickle over her skin as she remembered how it felt to be... held by someone.  Her pulse quickened briefly as she took in another breath from the bottle of what she determined to be soap and debated if she should make use of the trap.  The voice of caution spoke again, this time saying, _are you going to be bought so easily by such gifts? You... are... a... prisoner._  She found herself replying to this with, "Perhaps, but I might as well be a warm and clean one."  
   
    Within minutes, she was soaking up to her neck in hot water; her muscles sang with unfettered joy at the warmth while her sniffnodes took in the sweet scent, which seemed to multiply a hundredfold once the soap hit the water, and even more so , it seemed, once she immersed herself in it.  She had found a small sponge beside the bottle and was now using it to strip away the sopor slime that had accrued on her skin over the last sweep or so (had it really been that long since she properly bathed?) and once finished, she simply soaked for over an hour.    
  
    When she had emptied the trap and dressed again, Porrim continued on her nightly rounds, a large gold earring in one hand.  Despite having been exposed to the perfumed scent for a considerable amount of time, she was surprised to find that it was still quite prominent and it was now with her as she travelled around the room.  She found her steps were just that much lighter and couldn't remember the last time when she felt this happy about being clean.  Her thoughts turned to Mindfang and she wondered if her ( _captor? keeper? jailor?_ ) visitor would come again tonight.  She had, after all, left this bauble behind.  She would keep her word and keep it safe, of course.    
  
    The other notable change was in the quality of her meals.  The guards came shortly after her ablutions and shoved her food through the space between the bars along the floor as they always did, but she discovered that instead of the usual stale grubloaf, there was a much fresher grubtube and a sauce in which to dip it.  After at least an entire perigee in this prison, not to mention the time spent on the road and on the run before being sent here, this was, although certainly not extravagant, the best thing she'd had to eat in far too long.  The sauce, fungus based and steeped in cream, she believed, was rich; almost too much so as it overwhelmed her palate at first.  It reminded her of the meals she had in her youth; as she was being trained in her duties to assist the Mother Grub, she would be fed well so that she would thrive, but those who served were taught to avoid excess and so those nights where the more exotic pastes were presented were cherished and properly appreciated.  
  
    After her repast Porrim resumed her travels, earring clenched firmly in hand, and while she recalled her friends as she always did, her thoughts continued to drift towards the Marquise and her beautiful red boots.  Most trolls didn't seem to care much about their appearance:  her Kankri was quite content to run about in a simple cloak, while his sweet but savage matesprit wore little but rags until Porrim had made her an outfit far more suitable for one of her fierce spirit.  Porrim remembered how much she enjoyed making those clothes, too; the grass-like skirt just seemed to suit the Disciple (she smiled at the nickname; if only the world knew that she was so, so much more to him) and she recalled how the girl's face lit up when she tried it on for the first time.  So many of her race wore simple black uniforms with perhaps some small version of their sign stitched somewhere, but very few had a taste for fashion.  Mindfang, however, not only understood it, but made it functional as well.  Her long black coat had an elaborate string of blue running through it, making the design seem both tough and delicate at the same time.  The white blouse she wore (she remembered watching Mindfang undo it and felt the heat rush to her face again) was certainly not something most trolls could effectively pull off but it went so well with the rest of her regalia, which smacked of sea-farer, even though she wasn't violet blooded enough to be one.  
   
    The one piece that stood out above them all, however, was the scarlet, leg-high boots.  She couldn't remember for the life of her seeing another wear boots like that to such effect; the eye was drawn to them, which may have had the practical purpose of distracting the beholder long enough for Mindfang to gain the upper hand on them.  She realized that she may have very well fallen victim to that herself; she could watch nothing else as Mindfang slid them off of her long, lean legs.   _Was it just a knife or a scabbard you were looking for,_ she asked herself, _or were you taking that scene in solely for pleasure?_  The warmth in her cheeks flared again and she put her head down, closed her eyes and continued to walk.  She hoped, regardless of what that voice had to say, that Mindfang would come to see her that night, but as the sun's red rays trickled in to mark the coming of morning, she knew it wasn't to be.  She stayed up for another hour to let the daylight bathe her face before the call of the recupracoon became too much to resist.  
  
    At sunset, Porrim rose, visited her window again for awhile, and then filled the ablution trap.   _Funny how after one good soaking that it seems you can't wait to get the sopor slime off any more,_ she thought, sliding into the tub.  The voice that chastised her for so graciously accepting this gift seemed a little quieter this time.  However, the sun set and the sun rose and there was no sign of the Marquise.  By the third night, as she poured the soap into the warm water, she began to wonder if she was going to see her again anytime soon.   _The woman leads a dangerous life of some kind,_ she thought as she let the water envelope her, _there's a chance it may have finally caught up to her._  And then what?  Would she spend the rest of her days in this cellblock or would someone come and pull her from here?  The idea of losing this simple pleasure was simply too much for her to bear; she scrubbed her chest with the sponge and closed her eyes.  
   
    Being selfless by nature, however, Porrim's thoughts drifted towards Mindfang again.  "Am I actually feeling concern for the well-being of my jailkeeper?" she quietly asked herself as she set to work on cleaning her legs.  She was relatively tall for a troll of her blood type, and her long legs forced her to rest them outside of the ablution trap while she gave them a proper scrubbing.  "She gave you a hug, for gods' sake... Granted, a hug with her shirt open, which no one has ever done with you before..."  
  
    "Sounds like you're enjoying yourself, Porrrrrrrrim..."  
  
    With a gasp, she snapped her head up to see Mindfang standing beside the bars, watching her intently.  She dropped back down into the water, splashing it everywhere.  Mindfang made no move at all; she simply continued watching, smiling contentedly.  Porrim couldn't quite bring herself to speak; she suddenly felt guilty for some reason... was it shame at being overheard?  Mindfang put that to rest quickly: "That's quite all right, my dear, don't let me stop you.  I'd imagine conversations with yourself are probably the best ones you've had lately, although I would like to hope that you enjoyed our last one?"  Porrim sheepishly looked down at the water that barely covered her chest, then back up at the Marquise and nodded. "Gooooooood!  It warms my heart to hear it!  I see you've taken to that bathtub quite nicely.  I've watched the way you enjoy that water; are you sure you're not a sea-dweller?  I have met my share, you know."  
   
    Porrim couldn't help but smile.  "I'm sorry, but I'm not anything quite like that.  No fins, you see..." She pointed to her ears and Mindfang laughed.    
  
    "And a sense of humour!  Aren't you just full of surprises?  And as it turns out, so am I."  Mindfang opened up her long black jacket and retrieved a jade coloured housecoat.  "Would you like to have this?"  
  
    Porrim examined the robe:  it looked soft and comfortable, if a touch too short, but many standard garments were when it came to her build.  At a glance, she suspected Mindfang had the same problem.  She nodded and started to rise when she remember that she was completely naked.  Mindfang looked at the robe, and then back at her.  "Oh, don't worry.  No need to be shy around me, dear heart.  But if you want it, you will have to come over to get it; the ablution trap is kind of in the way."  
  
    Despite knowing that the odds were good Mindfang had seen everything of her that she wanted to during that first perigee's interrogation sessions, it was still another thing altogether to willingly show herself to someone else, and Porrim wasn't sure if she could quite go through with it.  Soap still clung to her body but it provided little cover.  Mindfang wasn't holding it that far away, but she would still have to stand up.  The trepidation was likely plain on her face.  
   
    "Come on, now... don't be silly.  You have nothing to be ashamed of.  Now come on over and take this.  It's verrrrrrrry comfy.  And look... it even matches your eyes!"  
  
    Porrim wondered why the Marquise didn't just come into the cellblock and give it to her, or even push it through the bars and leave it on the floor for her to pick up.  She suspected that the motive here might have been more than just an offer of a nice robe.  Despite her suspicions, she found herself standing up and climbing out of the tub, motivated mostly by her memory of Mindfang's willingness to be exposed; she wanted to show her jailor that she could be strong and unashamed of her own body as well.  As she did, some of the soap slid down her skin and she was quite a bit more exposed than she expected.  The combination of the cooler air and the excitement of it all caused two small green peaks to form on her chest, and a wave of self-consciousness suddenly overcame her.  She made her way to the bars as quickly as she could, reached through and nabbed the robe from Mindfang's hand.  As she pulled it on, her initial assumption that it was a touch on the small side was confirmed:  it barely covered her hips.  Even if she wasn't rather curvaceous on the hips and backside, it still wouldn't have concealed much, but it did give her some comfort and confidence back.    
  
    "How do you like it?" Mindfang asked.    
  
    Quickly, Porrim pulled the robe together across her chest, and she found herself shivering from not only the air, but from the sensation of the silky cloth across her erect nipples as well.  "It's... it's nice.  Soft," she said as stroked her hand back and forth over her covered shoulder while her other hand held it closed.  She looked down and saw a belt hanging around the waist.  As dextrously as possible, she picked up one end, then the other, and tied them together in front before taking a couple of steps backwards to the bed.  She suddenly became aware of the cool air on her bottom and how short this robe actually was.  She stood at the side of the bed frame and placed one hand on it while she waited for Mindfang to make the next move.  
  
    The Marquise took out her keys and removed her jacket, just as she did before, but this time, she brought the long leather coat in with her.  She placed the jacket on the bed, removed the sword from her belt and did the same with it, and then asked "You've been taking good care of my earring, yes?"  Porrim nodded, perhaps a touch more enthusiastically than she'd planned to.  Mindfang gave her a broad smile; "Wonderful!  I knew I could trust you.  You can keep holding on to it for now; I'm just going to leave my sword... oh, pardon me, your sword...  right here."  
  
    With that Mindfang strode over to the ablution trap, Porrim still watching her intently.  She dipped her fingers in, remarked "Mmmmmmmm... It's still nice and warm!", and then began to undo her shirt.  In order to give her some space, Porrim moved over to the bed, sat down beside the jacket, and tried her best to keep her eyes to herself.  This was a lost battle; she looked up to see Mindfang remove the blouse and took in her back this time:  her entire back was covered in a massive tattoo of a spider's web.  Porrim noticed that many of the web lines were actually blue instead of black ink; those blue ones seemed slightly out of place in a few spots and rather took away from the effect of the web, in her opinion... and then it occurred to her that those blue lines were scars, likely caused by lashes with a whip.  She had blended them in with the tattoo to hide them or make them look more interesting.  She thought she could see the symbol that Mindfang used on her garments in the middle of the web as well, but she didn't get enough time to focus on it as her host turned to place one hand on the edge of the tub to support herself while she removed her red boots.  
   
    Porrim looked at her in profile:  Mindfang was slim enough that her ribs were visible but not to the point of looking underfed.  She was lean but still soft in places; her breasts were on the smaller side and came to cone-like points partway down her chest.  She got a better look at the scars she caught a glimpse of earlier:  most seemed superficial but a couple looked long and deep; one in particular a few inches under her right breast still seemed a bright blue and she wondered if it was fresh or if it was an older but grievous wound.    
  
    Once her boots were off, Mindfang placed them away from the tub so they wouldn't get wet, and then removed her skirt, which like her back, was adorned with spider webs; Porrim was most impressed with the handiwork.  She peeled down her tight black leggings to reveal blue, lacy underwear; Porrim was both surprised and not to see a rather feminine touch underneath all of the rest.  Those, too, were taken off (slowly and deliberately, Porrim thought and wondered if that was for her benefit) and the Marquise turned to face away from the bed to slip into the ablution trap.  Porrim's eyes flicked to her backside as she did; Mindfang had a slight curve to her hips and her bottom was supple and tight.  Her thighs were thin and toned; her calves strong but narrow.  
   
    A moment later, Mindfang was in the water and Porrim realized that she was actually forgetting to breathe again.  She looked down and took in a quick gasp of air; she hoped the Marquise hadn't caught her watching, but suspected that she not only had, but was encouraging it.  She turned her head to look towards the ablution trap again; Mindfang had one leg up and out and was cleaning it, much as she herself was mere minutes ago, and was absently humming a tune.  Porrim inhaled deeply and spoke, "You certainly know how to make an entrance!"  
  
    The woman in the tub switched legs and continued cleaning with the sponge.  "You're certainly not the first to say so..." she purred.  "I've always believed making a good first impression is one thing, but it's an art to make a truly great one!"  She looked up at Porrim, who was still watching her, and asked, "Can I assume you enjoyed it?"  
  
    Porrim paused, cast her eyes down again and quietly said, "Maybe..."  
  
    Mindfang beamed.  She stood up and let the soap slide down her body. "Allllllll of it?"  
  
    Porrim turned her head to hide the smile.  
  
    As Mindfang turned and bent over to put her head under the tap to rinse her hair, Porrim stole another glimpse of her posterior, which aside from a few soap patches was quite visible.  She was aware her face must be glowing green, and she thought herself childish. _But you never had time for adolescent crushes or relations_ , was the response from her inner voice, and even though Kankri and that sweet girl had a rather unusual one, short and intense, it was still genuine and an experience for both of them.   _You're flushing all over the place like a schoolgrub because in some ways, you still ARE a schoolgrub,_ she thought; _there's much for you to learn._  She figured she'd logged about twenty solar sweeps ( _you'll likely spend the rest of them here,_ said the inner voice), and her jade blood would give her a couple of hundred, so she'd have all kinds of time to learn, but now she worried that her lack of experience was making her look foolish, especially in front of someone who obviously knew what she was doing and had likely been doing it for a couple hundred sweeps already.  
   
    Mindfang stepped out of the ablution trap and bent forward again; she pressed a button that Porrim hadn't seen earlier, and a drawer opened from the bottom of the tub that was full of large blue towels.  She took two out and wrapped the first around her hair; the other she used to start drying herself off with.  "I apologize for not telling you about that towel drawer sooner; I forgot you were probably unfamiliar with this design, but hey, sometimes being wet and slippery can be fun, too, right?"  With that, she wrapped the towel around her midsection and tucked the end in at her chest, then strode over to the bed.  Porrim watched without trying to as she let the towel drop to the floor, picked up her long black coat, put it on without doing it up, then laid down on the side of the bed closest to the window.  There was a distant rumble and Mindfang remarked, "There's a storm coming in off the water, I hear; looks like everything else is going to be wet tonight, too..."  
  
    For a moment Porrim considered this; she remembered her time with Kankri and the others on the boat and how the storm they encountered utterly terrified her, but she tried so hard to hide it in front of them.  She believed they didn't stand a chance of survival; the storms on Alternia, like its inhabitants, generally tended to be vicious and withheld little ferocity, but they endured... _for all it was worth_ , she thought bitterly.  To this day, a crack of thunder or a howling wind made her tense and irrationally fearful; it was the first time she'd ever genuinely felt her life was in danger and the memory of that long night in savage seas lingered still.  
   
    Mindfang must have been able to tell from her body language that Porrim was concerned about it.  "Hey.  Why don't you come lay down beside me?  I can help take your mind off of the weather..."    
  
    Porrim looked over her shoulder: the towel on Mindfang's hair was darkening as it wicked the moisture from it and she had her chin propped up on one hand while she rubbed the other back and forth over the covers.  Her coat was open but covered most of her, although what grey skin was visible still had a moist glisten to it.   Porrim put a hand to her forehead and exhaled.  "I... I just... hardly know you!  Aren't you the one who's keeping me locked up here?"  
  
    Mindfang thought for a moment before replying.  "I'm the one in charge here, yes.  But I'm trying to give you a better place to be than the one you were in before.  I do feel badly about the way you were treated during your first weeks here but I assure you, the remainder of your stay can be a much, much better experience if you want it to be.   Do you want it to be?"  
  
    Carefully Porrim considered what she heard.  "Of course, but... isn't this still a prison?"  
  
    The Marquise laughed.  "Prison?  Oh, not at all!  This is my own hive, dear!"  
  
    "Then why the bars?  The bed with the restraints?  The armed guards?"  She was standing now, facing the other woman.  "Who has these sorts of things in their hive?"  
  
    "The bars were a necessary evil.   As part of my arrangement, I had to have them installed for that first perigee.  The guards were forced upon me as part of that arrangement as well.  I have my own staff here, but for now, I must put up with them.  He... that friend of mine... says they're for my protection against you, but what would I need that for?  I gave you my sword the other day," Mindfang gestured with her foot at the blade which rested at the end of the bed, "and you didn't run me through with it when you had every opportunity to, so I trust you won't harm me now and maybe I can get rid of those guys finally.  This bed, though... yes, it's actually mine.  I had the restraints put on it intentionally."  
  
    Porrim looked at her curiously.  "What for?"  
  
    For a moment, Mindfang gave her a _'really?'_ look.  "Ah, yes... Sometimes I forget that  there are many things you may not quite understand when it comes to these matters... yet.  It can be fun to allow someone else to control your destiny now and then.  I know that these were used against your will before," she said, taking the chain and shackle closest to her into her hand, "but when it's something that both parties want to engage in, the tension, both literal and emotional, can make a situation take on a whole new and exciting perspective!  It's very much a matter of trust, not only for the one in the restraints, but for the one who's giving the directions as well!  You might find that surrendering yourself to someone else from time to time may be quite liberating... isn't that what flushing red for someone is, in essence?  A mutual surrender?  That certainly takes a fair bit of trust, don't you think?"  
  
    She couldn't argue with anything Mindfang had to say to that point; she understood the nature of leading and following but had little experience when it came to applying it to a relationship, red or black.  "I suppose.  I've seen all kinds of people waxing all kinds of things for other people, but I really don't know much about it, personally.  You're probably right..."  
  
    Mindfang studied her face.  "Do you trust me, Porrim?"  
  
    Porrim crossed her arms and looked away for a moment.  She regarded the bars, then Mindfang herself, and then uncrossed them and clasped her right wrist in front of her body.  "Maybe I'm starting to... you must understand that there's barriers here that make it harder for me to do that than there would be under different circumstances."  
  
    "Hey, I don't like those bars any more than you do, and if I come to trust you enough, maybe they might go away sometime.  I really hope that can happen.  But what I can do is show you that maybe I know you better than you think.  For instance, I can tell you what you want more than anything else in the world right now!"  Mindfang's words were punctuated by a brilliant red flash from a phosphorescent cloud through the window, followed by a low rumble.   "To be held again.  Am I right?"  
  
    The heat returned to Porrim's face and she looked down, bit her lip and nodded.  
   
    "Then come and lay here with me.  That's all you have to do.  Easy as falling down."  
  
    Porrim looked up again and Mindfang had taken the towel off of her head and, with a flourish, flipped the damp hair out of her face with her left hand.  Her narrow visage with its slightly pointed features was brightened by an inviting smile that Porrim couldn't help but shyly return.  A short battle between excitement and fear took place inside her head, but she felt her heart win over and she first sat, and then lay down on her back beside Mindfang, who watched her intently.  As soon as she was on the bed, the scent of the jacket and the soap was front and center and she drank it in; the feelings that came with it flooded back over her before she even knew it was happening.  She turned her head to look at the other, who was very close now; a few straggling pieces of wet hair still clung stubbornly to her face and horns, and that eye of hers was so interesting to look at.  She swallowed and asked, "So... now what?"  
  
    "Well..." Mindfang replied, reaching out with her left hand across Porrim's body in search of her right one, "I thought you wanted to be held, and that's awfully hard to do with you laying on your back, no?"  
   
    Porrim rolled over on to her side, aided by Mindfang once their hands were together, and they were both facing each other.  Porrim felt awkward as she didn't know what to do with her other arm at first, but she slid it under the other's coat as best she could.   _If those scents were strong before, they're almost overwhelming now,_ she thought.  Mindfang let go of her hand and stroked some of the damp hair out of her face this time; she suddenly became conscious about how long her hair was now compared to how she usually liked to keep it; she hadn't even seen herself in a mirror in well over a sweep and began to worry.  Mindfang read this immediately.  
   
    "Hey, what's the matter?  Don't worry, you look just fine.  Just a little hair out of place is all."  
  
    "I just realized I don't even know what I look like anymore!  I mean, it's not a vanity thing, but I don't even have a clue what my hair looks like or if I have marks all over my face, or anything!"  
  
    Mindfang shooshed her and for a split second, she was reminded of the natural gift her adopted son had for subduing those in an unstable emotional state.  Somehow, she sensed Mindfang's approach was a little different, but it seemed to be effective:  she was stroking Porrim's face and letting her fingers move through her hair.  "There's absolutely nothing wrong with this beautiful hair in the slightest.  You look just wonderful, especially this close.  The hand eventually came to rest on her cheek and those eyes poured into her own.  "I know what might help you relax:  would you like to play the Question Game again?  You can go first."  
  
    Porrim didn't quite know what to ask initially, but then it came to her:  "I don't even know what to call you.  What is your name?"  
  
    The woman in the long black coat chuckled quietly.  "I have been called many things", she replied, "not all of them nice, but that just means I've had an interesting life.  I go by Marquise Spinneret Mindfang.  Marquise is just an unofficial title, of course.  You can call me Spinneret if you like... I love how it rolls off the tongue."  
  
    Porrim did a quick calculation in her head and said, "That's not your real name, though, is it?"  
  
    Mindfang moved her hand from Porrim's face and placed a finger in front of her lips. "Shh... you know how this works by now.  Whose turn is it to ask a question?"  
  
    "Yours..." Porrim whispered as she fought a peculiar desire to take the finger that was just resting on her lips and put it in her mouth.  
   
    "You're absolutely right.  Very good."  Spinneret returned her hand to stroking Porrim's hair and even brushed it against one of her horns, which caused her to take a sharp breath at the tingling sensation.   "Soooooooo... my question is this:  would you like to kiss me?"  
  
    Porrim's mouth tried to form words and couldn't quite.  She looked straight ahead; Mindfang's face was only a hand's breadth away.  It took her a few moments to compose herself enough to say "Y... yes... I would... but... I'm a little scared."  
  
    Mindfang's hand found a resting place behind Porrim's head.  "No more, dear heart, no less than I..."  
  
    Porrim felt a gentle pull and in less than a heartbeat the rest of the distance was closed and her lips and Mindfang's met.  She used her right arm to pull Mindfang (Spinneret, now?) as close to her as she could and pressed herself in tightly against her body.  She could feel a tongue slowly forcing its way between her lips and she opened her mouth slightly to accommodate it.  She returned the gesture tentatively and it was easily received.  She could feel her pusher pounding... and then a quick moment of panic as she tried to figure out how to breathe with her tongue in someone else's mouth.  She broke the seal their mouths made for a second, inhaled deeply, and then resumed the kiss as passionately as before.  Porrim heard the other softly laugh and so she stopped and opened her eyes.  
   
    "You're adorable..." Mindfang said while keeping her hand on the back of Porrim's head.  "This really is your first time kissing someone, isn't it?"  Porrim silently nodded and Mindfang could see her cheeks flush bright green.  "Hey... don't be ashamed.  I'm glad you got to share it with me.  It's only the first step; you have many more firsts to come!"  
  
    Porrim pulled her head down towards her chest.  "I... I don't know what I'm doing!  I mean, I know about it, but I... don't know what..."  
  
    Mindfang kissed her forehead.  "You'll do just fine.  I will show you what you need to know, dear heart.  But for now, just kiss me again and we'll go from there."  
   
    Porrim tipped her chin up again and took a deep breath before bringing her lips to Mindfang's again.  This time, she relaxed somewhat and quietly hoped that her fangs wouldn't cut Spinneret's lips too badly.  The feeling of that warm tongue in her mouth along with that leather and flower scent had her nearly delirious with pleasure and Porrim wondered how much more intense things could actually get.  She received a hint when Mindfang's hand left her hair and arrived on her bare thigh.  Her eyes opened for a moment; she could see Spinneret's were still closed and thought she should do the same, but that hand which was slowly moving on her leg might as well have been creating sparks and her eyes rolled back in her head before she closed them again.  
   
    Porrim quickly lost track of time as their lips met again and again, while the hand that was exploring her thigh made its way up her side to undo her robe, before making its way back under the silky fabric and slowly up Porrim's chest.  She could feel her breast stiffen in Mindfang's grasp when it was squeezed and the sharpness of the sensation made her gasp.  When she returned her tongue to Mindfang's mouth, the other released her grip and that hand made its way to Porrim's own.  A moment later, her hand was placed on Mindfang's chest:  she could feel a hard nipple pressing into her palm and the tingling between her legs became strong and insistent.  She started to caress what was in her hand; she swept her fingers down towards the tip at the end and wondered (hoped) it was giving Spinneret anywhere near as much pleasure as she was feeling herself.  
   
    Suddenly Mindfang rolled Porrim over onto her back again and swung a leg over her hips.  She took both of Porrim's hands into her own and placed them up on the pillow by her head while she began to rock gently back and forth.  Porrim could feel a bit of wetness forming on her stomach and she felt her own hips starting to move in time, almost of their own accord.   _Is this it?_ she wondered, _Is this what it really feels like?_  She couldn't put it into words if she tried.  For the moment, Mindfang stopped moving and laid down over Porrim's body, their bare chests touching as the robe was now lying open.  Mindfang kissed her ear, gently sucked on it, then let it go and lightly blew on the place she'd had her lips; Porrim couldn't stop the sound that escaped her mouth if she wanted to.  Spinneret made her way down to her neck and started to kiss and taste there.  Porrim became conscious of her own wetness forming between her legs and didn't think any further of it; all she wanted was those lips to keep kissing her.  
   
    What surprised her was that Mindfang's hands had moved down to her wrists and were now gripping them rather tightly.  She could feel them tingle but this was not in a good way; her fingers were starting to become numb. She tried to turn them around in Mindfang's grip, but found she couldn't move them at all.  A brief surge of panic began to make its way down her spine, almost replacing the pleasure that was still surging through her.  The blue lips left her neck and returned to her green ones; Porrim felt the kisses were now more like controlled sucking and she opened her eyes to see what the other was up to.  She couldn't see much for the thick black hair all around her.  She tried to turn her wrists again but they were squeezed even harder in return.  She started to struggle and began to look around for a way to get Mindfang to stop, but suddenly jolted hard at a sudden pain in her mouth…  
  
    "Owwww!  What was that for?"  A sudden surge of adrenaline pulsed through Porrim's body and she broke free of Mindfang's grip and sat up, which sent the other tumbling off of her down to the floor.  Porrim put a hand to her mouth and saw a river of green blood in her fingers.  "Why did you bite me?"  
  
    Porrim could tell that  Spinneret was not used to being unceremoniously dumped on the ground judging by the unimpressed look on her face.   As Mindfang wiped her lips, both of them saw the green on the back of her hand.  "What, that?  That was just a love bite, dear!  Sometimes it happens when I get a little excited.  Fangs as long as mine tend to make a mark now and then; maybe you're going to have to get used to it!  Did it really hurt that bad?"  
   
    Porrim nodded, her hand covering her mouth.  "Oh," said Mindfang, rising to her feet, "I see.  Sometimes a little pain isn't a bad thing, you know…"  Porrim blinked a couple of times, unsure of what to say about that.  "Hmmmmmmmm… maybe we were getting a little too far ahead of ourselves there.  Perhaps we should leave it at that for today; you're not quite as ready as I thought you were."  
  
    Porrim was struck with a flash of self-doubt.   _Am I overreacting?_ she asked herself, _Is she leaving because I can't handle her?_  She put her hand down; the blood had slowed to a trickle. "No… no, don't… I mean… that was wonderful!  I just wasn't expecting you to…"  
  
    "To what, dear?"  
  
    "Well… to bite me… and hold my arms down like that.  I panicked; it felt like I was back in the restraints again.  It scared me."  
     
    Mindfang nodded as she picked up her boots and made her way back over to the bed.  "I see…"  She put her left leg up on the bed first and pulled the boot on.  "Didn't it excite you?  Even just a little bit?"  
  
    Porrim sat up on the bed.  "A little…" she said, with some trepidation, "but I was enjoying what you were doing with your hands more.  And when you were on top of me, something took over, deep inside of me…"  The heat returned to her face and she felt very self-conscious all of a sudden.    
   
    "That's called instinct, love.  You were just doing what comes naturally.  And it tells me that you're almost ready, whether you believe it or not."  
  
    "Ready for what?"  The pain in her lip was ebbing now and she could feel stirrings starting again down below.    
  
    Mindfang smiled broadly; a small spot of green was still visible on her left fang.  She placed her right leg up on the bed to put the other boot on, but since she was still turned to face Porrim, this gave the woman on the bed a full view of what was being rubbed back and forth on her earlier: her lips were full and flushed, and a small protrusion that was practically glowing blue could be seen in between them at the front.  A trickle of thin blue ran down her thigh as she slid her long leg into the scarlet boot.  "Why, the next lesson in your education, of course, and I assure you, it will be an important one.  Probably the most important one you've ever had.  And there WILL be a test afterwards, but I'm surrrrrrrre you'll pass it with flying colours."  
  
    Porrim was utterly torn between looking and not looking at what was being shown to her.  She managed a wan smile and began massaging her wrists.  Mindfang started to pull her leg back off the bed and said, "There's no need to hide your eyes, dear heart… you might as well start your studies early!" As she let go of the top of the boot, her left hand brushed the small blue nub and she inhaled.  Porrim felt her own tingle in a way she'd never known before, but at the same time, her wrists began to throb as well.  "You see, my dear, perhaps you should get used to having a little restraint; trust in me and I will lead the way.  I can take you places you've never been without ever having to leave this room.  But… you're going to have to show me you WANT to go there.  And sometimes, that means giving up a little bit of your control.  In return, maybe I can give you a little more, too.  Can you do that for me, Porrrrrrrrim?  Just try getting used to being held?  I will be so worth it… I promise!"  She looked at Mindfang's eyes, licked the sore spot on her lip, and nodded.  "That's the spirit!  Just remember, all you have to do is to let me… embrace you and I will make it so, so worth it… "  
  
    As Mindfang took her hand and pulled her to her feet, Porrim wondered if she made a slip in her speech... _"I" will be so worth it?  Don't you mean "it"? Then again..._  "Do you mean... like this?"  She stood up, slowly extended her arms around Mindfang's hips outside of her coat and put her head on the other's shoulder, as the Marquise had done last time they were together.  
   
    Mindfang blinked a couple of times before replying, "Not entirely... but it is quite nice.  I was thinking more like this..." She took one of Porrim's arms in each hand and slipped them back up to her wrists.  Spinneret felt her start to stiffen up again with fear but this time leaned in and whispered, "You don't need to be afraid of this.  Feel my strength.  I need you to be able to handle this.  Show me you can trust in me..."  She placed a kiss on Porrim's ear, and then a series of them across her face until she was at her mouth.  This time, she kept her teeth to herself and gave her a long, sweet kiss, which was returned a few moments later.  They held it for a minute or so before Mindfang spoke, "See?  You did it!  Wasn't that all right?"  
  
    Porrim nodded.  "Yes... I like it much better when you kiss like that."  The spot on her lip where she was bit earlier was swollen and itched but she ignored it.  "Your hands... they're strong..."  
  
    "All the better to hold you, love..."  She placed one more kiss on her lips and released her arms, then set about gathering up her clothes.  Porrim looked to the bed and was slightly shocked to see some green and blue streaks on the silver sheets.  Mindfang noticed this and said, "Don't worry about that; I'll make sure the droids stop by and take care of it.  You should be proud of your handiwork!  Can you see how exciiiiiiiited you made me?"  Porrim felt the familiar flush of warmth return to her cheeks and adjusted her robe, but this time she couldn't hide the smile if she wanted to.  
   
    "I'm glad that I was able to... well... make you feel good..." _Oh god, you're bumbling like some kind of wiggler,_ she chastised herself.  
   
    Mindfang grinned at her as she tossed her blouse, skirt and panties over her arm.  "You certainly did.  I think you did a very good job today.  I also think you should keep it up.  There's a lot worse things one can do than to please someone else, after all."    
  
    As the Marquise pulled out the key, Porrim thought of something.  "When will you be back?  Soon?"  
   
    The reply was a nod, and as the cell door closed behind her, she said, "Soon.  You need to some time to figure a few things out, but I will be back very soon."  She slipped a hand through the bars and stroked Porrim's cheek lightly.  
   
    She pressed her face against Mindfang's hand, and then moved it to her mouth so she could kiss it.  She put the tip of one of her fingers into her mouth and gently sucked on it.  Mindfang broke into a broad smile.  "Well, well!  You are full of surprises, aren't you?"   She slowly slid her finger back from Porrim's lips and turned to leave.  
   
    "Wait!  I need to know something!" she called hoping to catch the Marquise before she left the room.  She knew she heard as the sound of the bootsteps stopped.  
   
    "Yessssssss?"  
  
    Porrim gathered her thoughts as quickly as she could.  "When you said, 'No more and no less than I', what did you mean?  I mean... what could you possibly be scared of?"  
  
    Mindfang did not turn around, but paused before she spoke.  "We've already played the Question Game today, my sweet.  Ask me again sometime."  The click-clack of her boots resumed and the door closed behind her, leaving Porrim holding her bars and wondering what exactly she was getting herself into.   _Not like I have much of a choice in the matter,_ she thought as she rubbed her cheek on the soft shoulder of the jade robe.   _But is that such a bad thing?_  She wasn't sure which sensation she felt strongest: the echoes of pleasure in her neck and legs, or the painful pulse of her lip and wrists.   _Mayhap they are one and the same?  She's right... I need some time to think..._ She dipped her hand into the ablution trap and was genuinely surprised to find that it was still warm after all that time.  She removed her robe, set it on the bed, and climbed back in.  There was something that felt good to her about knowing that Spinneret had bathed in this water, too; it was something else they'd shared, even if it was indirectly. She closed her eyes and let her mind try to make sense of what she'd just experienced.   _What could I even call this?  Red?  Black?  Somewhere in between?_  
   
    The only thing Porrim thought she knew for certain was that she couldn't wait until her next visit, but she couldn't entirely decide if the fluttering in her stomach was more from excitement or from fear...


	4. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Admiral Ampora receives an unexpected visit from his kismesis, which results in a new deal being struck between them concerning both the jadeblood prisoner, and Dualscar's own vacillating feelings for the Marquise. The stakes are raised significantly for Mindfang as she tries to decide how to obtain information from her prisoner and investigate her own flushed leanings for Porrim at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 4, where a major plot development occurs as Dualscar comes up with a challenge where Mindfang's prisoner is concerned. The black tension between the two is ratcheted up a notch, and the Marquise is someone who always loves to leave an impression. The "cat-and-mouse" rivalry between these two is a hoot to write; hopefully you enjoy it as well!

**4.**  
  
    Admiral Ampora sat back in his chair with his feet up on an ornate ironwood desk and thumbed through the photos on his datapad.  He was so sick of sifting through them all; he believed most of these criminals were already dead or captured, so why was he killing time trying to determine their identities for the Condesce?    
  
    "What a waste of my talents," he snarled. "I should be out there hunting them and feeding them to that thing in the deeps, not getting their life story."  
  
    One in particular popped up and it had all kinds of red flags and warnings around it.  He was quite familiar with that face, but the only thing it was missing was the name that belonged to it, which was most likely the key to answering the questions surrounding the female troll's whereabouts.   He stroked his chin thoughtfully, wondering if the Marquise's methods would succeed where his did not.  He quietly hoped they wouldn't; after all, wasn't that what being a kismesis was all about?  And yet, regardless of who obtained the information, he was bound to benefit. _It's not like the Condesce is going to go out of her way to reward a pirate who's busy hijacking what's rightfully hers,_ he thought, _so I'd be the one who would claim the success... should one of us actually be successful, of course._    
  
    He continued to thumb his way through the photos until another familiar face showed up on his screen.  He shook his head.  "I thought I told them that this file wasn't meant to be broadcast?"  He sat upright and contemplated calling for a staffer to deal with it, but then decided against it.  "Nothing I can't take care of myself, hm?"  As he set about figuring out how to remove the file from the active network, he muttered to himself, "No matter where I go, it seems she's always there, watching and waiting."  He looked around his study; state-of-the-art technology kept this naval base free from unwanted intrusions.  He chuckled softly.  "I'd love to see her try and sneak in here somet-"  
  
    "Croooooooonus..."  
  
    Dualscar's hands instinctively flew to Ahab's Crosshairs, and in just over a second he was armed and his back was against the nearest wall.  His eyes scanned the room purposefully, from left to right and back again, while he tried to identify the location of source of the sound.    
  
    "What the... where are you?"  
  
    "Look up!"  
  
    Ampora tilted his head upwards to see her hanging upside down by a rope from an open panel in his ceiling.  She was only a couple of feet above him, and her electric blue cutlass was now pressed lightly against his neck.   "Your move, Cronus... but I wouldn't make it too quickly, just in case.  Wouldn't want to see you cut yourself..."  
  
    He wasn't entirely sure if she was having fun with him or actually trying to take over the facility.  That very uncertainty was what he enjoyed most about their black romance; he was not accustomed to having anyone get the drop on him, but as he felt his heart race and heard his quick, shallow breaths, he couldn't deny the sheer excitement of being at her mercy... for a few moments, anyway.  He let go of the energy harpoon and then slowly slid his left hand up his neck to pry her blade off of it.  As he pushed it away, he deftly stepped aside, turned to face her and noticed a few drops of violet on his fingertips.  "You need to be a bit more careful with that thing, hmm?  My blood is rather precious, you know."  
  
    While still inverted and hanging by her cable, she extended her arm that wasn't holding the sword, grabbed him roughly by the back of the head and pulled him closer.  He closed his eyes and felt her lips press against his... until a sharp pain drowned out any pleasurable sensation.  "OWW!  The FUCK?" he shouted as he stumbled backwards into his desk, his hands clutched to his face.  
  
     Mindfang let go of the rope and agilely dropped to the ground.  She ran her tongue across her fangs to lick off the purple blood.  "Hmmm... doesn't taste any different to me!"  
  
    Dualscar wiped the warm liquid from his freshly punctured lip.  "Urrgh... what do you mean by that, anyway?  I never pegged you for a Rainbow Drinker."  
  
    She returned her sword to her belt and strutted up to the tall man, who seemed far less of an imposing figure with a hand over his mouth and water leaking from his eyes.  "What it means, you poor thing, is that I am in the process of getting what I want from someone and I'm doing so in the manner that I want to, _without_ using most of my natural abilities that you seem to think make interrogation so simple.  So, I'm here to inform you that this darling little project of mine is well underway, and results should be forthcoming much sooner than you dared to dream."  
   
    Ampora finally stood up and returned his weapon to its place on his back.  "Hey, I dream pretty big, you know!"  
  
    Mindfang gave him a smug look.  "Of course you do!  You have me as a kismesis, after all!"  
  
    He sucked on his sore lip.  "You realize that if this relationship was a little more on the red side, you might not feel as strong an urge to bite me..."  
  
    "Aw, pumpkin..." she mocked him with a protruded bottom lip.  "Did that little love bite sting a bit?  Besides, maybe I enjoy a little nip in my red romancing now and then as well?"  
   
    Dualscar gave her a thoughtful look.  "Hmmm... either this means you've been chewing on Little Miss Greenblood in order to get her to cough up her secrets or you're finally coming around to realizing what an amazing red pair we'd make.  After all..." he said, taking a few steps past where she was standing, then quietly spinning around to slide up behind her, "you're not the only one good at making life more exciting..."    
  
    As he slipped his left arm around her waist, Ampora used his chin to push her hair out of the way while he aimed to place his lips on her long, pointed ear  He could feel her shudder slightly, and then his excitement grew as her hand moved over the one he planted on her hip... and started to pull his little finger backwards as far as she could.  He grimaced as she continued to hold it while she deftly untangled herself from his embrace.  "Cronus, please..." she purred, "you know what happens when you try to romance two quadrants at once.  Do you know what colour you get when you mix red and black?"  
  
    He bared and gritted his teeth as he stared her in the eyes.  The pain in his finger was considerably more unpleasant than he would admit to.  "I must admit, the thought hadn't crossed my mind," he growled as his cheeks flared violet. "Why don't you fill me in?"  
  
    "It's rather muddy... sort of an awful mess, really."  She released his finger and started towards his desk; he made every effort not to clutch at his wounded digit.  "I've seen wilted flower petals that turn that shade once they've fallen away, dead and withered.  It's a dalliance that one would be wise to avoid; unfettered vacillation leads to instability, after all.  You wouldn't know whether you were coming or going."  
  
    "I certainly know which I'd prefer," Dualscar said as he fell into step behind her.  Mindfang marveled at how quickly he regained his bluster and wondered to herself just how much red really was seeping into their black, at least on his end.  They'd certainly dabbled with the physical side of blackrom on a few occasions, but he proved to be a rather self-centered lover, interested in only his own pleasures, and so she found herself deflecting his stark advances more often than not.   _Even in hatesex, there's some expectation of mutual fulfillment, unless leaving someone hanging in anticipation is part of the plan,_ she thought. _Tie the fellow up once, take away his self control and now he won't let me be?  His black and his red are all messed up..._  
  
    "I'm sure you do..." She cast her gaze across his desk and her eyes lit upon the pad which had her picture and profile on it.  "I thought you said they weren't looking terribly hard for me?"  
  
    Ampora marched up to her and snatched it quickly away.  "Don't worry, I'm taking care of it.  That wasn't supposed to be on the network.  The only one who's ever going to bring you in is me."  
  
    Mindfang raised an eyebrow.  "I don't suppose you're planning to do that anytime soon, are you?  Don't you think that handing me over the Grand Highblood would be counterproductive to our relationship?  Without someone of my caliber to compete with, how would you ever survive?"  
  
    Dualscar stopped for a moment to collect his thoughts; she was able to view an entire spectrum of emotions flash through his eyes and she became wary.  In a flash, he was moving towards her.  Mindfang's hand dropped to the hilt of her sword but before she could grasp it, he threw his arms around hers and held her tightly.  It took all of her willpower to allow him to say what he felt he needed to and not actively use force to escape; even though he was considerably taller and stronger than her, she knew many techniques that would enable her to get free.  
   
    "Maybe I couldn't survive without you, ever think of that?  Why should we have to keep sniping at each other and playing these caliginous games when we could just go red and be done with it, hmm?   I'd be more than proud to show you off as my consort, and you wouldn't have to constantly dodge the Navy warships anymore!"  
  
    She looked at his face and realized he was quite serious.  "Did it ever occur to you," she replied, wriggling for space to make a counter move, "that maybe I enjoy dodging those warships?  That maybe I enjoy our kismesissitude more than I would a matespritship with you?  Maybe I just don't see you that way, Cronus; why throw away something that works for something that doesn't?"  
  
    As she moved, he tried to tighten his grip on her.  "Why are you so sure it wouldn't work?  You're not that far down the chart from me, sanguinely speaking.  It's not like you're some filthy orange or creepy mustard blooded scum.  I could give you a life like you couldn't even imagine."  
  
    Mindfang had heard enough.  "Maybe I don't want it to be just GIVEN to me?"  
   
    With that she threw herself back against his arms and stomped a red boot foot down onto his foot.  For a split second he relaxed his grip enough for her to slide out, regain her balance and draw her sword.  As Dualscar grunted with the pain of her attack, he dropped the pad he was holding and it clattered to the floor.  As the machine's display flicked back to the picture he was observing before she arrived, both of their gazes fell upon it simultaneously.  A sly smile spread across her face; she picked the pad up and started to read the file with all of the warnings and classified information.    
  
    Dualscar regarded her cautiously as she perused the data in front of her.  "That smile usually means trouble..." he muttered.  "Should I even ask what you're thinking?"  
  
    "Asking's free; fill your boots!" she replied.    
  
    He rolled his eyes.  "You're seriously going to make me ask."  
  
    "Yep!"  
  
    Ampora put a hand to his face and sighed loudly.  "Unreal...  Fine, then.  What in the red hells are you thinking?"  
  
    "Well, since you asked," she said, cocking her head in his direction, "I'm thinking we should make another deal."  
  
    He snorted.  "Yeah, great.  Because the last one worked so well."  
  
    Mindfang rolled her eyes.  "Seriously?  How long have I had so far?  A few nights?  You had an entire lunar cycle.  Have patience, my dear.  In fact, what I have in mind has to do with our previous deal, but it just ups the stakes a bit."  
  
    "I should know better than to make wagers with Gamblignants, but I'm curious to hear what you have to say."  He crossed his arms and regarded her with some suspicion.  
  
    She flipped the pad around to face him.  "If my techniques yield the name of the Disciple, my price is that you drop these red pretenses.  No more clumsy advances, no more terribly unsubtle innuendo, you stow it for good.  I'm more than willing to sail black with you, and I enjoy it immensely, but you can't have it both ways."  
  
    Dualscar's eyes were wide; the magnitude of the stakes were almost too much for him, but he wouldn't let her see that if he could help it.  "And if you aren't able to do it?"

  
    The Marquise gave him a resigned look.  "If I can't do it, I'm all yours.  Red, black, whatever you want.  I'll tie you up every other night if it'll please you.  Maybe we can even fill a bucket or two, but I'm yours as long as you'll have me.  How's that swab your deck?"  
  
    His fear at the risk of completely ending his red desires for her evaporated in a heartbeat as she spoke these words, and now he had to rein in his giddy elation before it became too obvious.  He took a moment to regain his mental composure, and answered, "Very well.  You have a deal, but on two conditions: first, no using your 'special abilities'.  This has to be done like we discussed before, or it's no challenge.  Remember, I've seen what you're capable of.  Second, I set the time limit."  
  
    She frowned, but thought this would be worth it if it got him off her back.  There was already a glimmer of red feelings in her heart, but they were not for him.  "All right... what do you have in mind?"  
  
    "One week."  
  
    Mindfang ran this through her head for a few moments; this would be a challenge, indeed, but one she felt was worth taking the risk for if it paid off.  She clenched her teeth and extended her hand.  "Done.  You will have it within one week from today.  If you listened carefully there, you'd have heard that I said 'it' and not 'me'.  You have taken that into consideration, right?"    
  
    A tremble of that horror of losing her as a potential red lover tore through his heart again, but he reminded himself that it was just part of her bravado.   _There's no way she'll be able to do this without manipulating the slave,_ he thought as he put his hand in hers and shook it.  "You're good, but you aren't that good.  There's no glubbin' way you can pull it off."  
  
    She gave him a smug look.  "Fish talk?  Really?  How adorable.  You might as well get primed up since you and the Condesce will be able to make all kinds of cute pillow talk later on.  You see, if you get that name from me, you can pass it on to her and I'm sure you'll be a very popular fellow.  Either way, you win, right?"  
  
    Dualscar laughed quietly.  "You got that right, lady.  That's how it works around here.  You'd do well to keep that in mind, hmmm?"  
  
    She released his hand, regarded the pad in her other one, made a couple of quick taps on it and tossed it back onto his desk.  "If you say so.  Please don't be too disappointed when we have to keep it black, Cronus.  I wish you'd come to appreciate that which we already have a little more.  After all, don't I make your life interesting enough already?"  She strode over to the cable she dropped in on and grabbed onto it.  
   
    "Is there really such a thing as 'enough', Marquise?" he inquired.  "And whether you believe it or not, I've already got you.  See, it's one thing to have you, but another altogether to have you give yourself to me willingly.  You of all people should know this... but then, I don't think anyone has ever done that for you before.  Your abilities gave you an advantage, but now you don't have a clue how to get through to someone without them.  You better hope that changes quickly."  
  
    Mindfang shook her head.  "I don't need hope, darling.  If there's one thing on all of Alternia I believe in, it's me.  Maybe you should start?"  She flashed him a smile, tugged on the cable and disappeared back up into the ceiling.  
  
    As Ampora caught one last glimpse of her red boots before the hatch closed behind her, he thought to himself, _but I already do, Spinneret.  That's why I'm worried you might actually pull it off._  He went back to his desk, picked up the pad and initiated a call to his aide.  "Send the carpenter droids in here.  There's a ceiling panel that needs to be welded shut.  It seems I have a spider problem..."


	5. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindfang continues to attempt to seduce Porrim, and she has more than one goal in mind. Porrim begins to question the nature of their developing relationship, but also learns of Mindfang's definition of what it is to trust someone. This isn't the only lesson she learns at the hands (and tongue) of Marquise Spinneret Mindfang...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, folks, this is where it REALLY gets... interesting. If you can handle this, you can handle any of the other sex scenes in the story. Just remember, though: The Story is paramount. All of what happens here is very much for a reason. I hope you enjoy seeing how their peculiar relationship comes to pass and try to guess at what comes next... Expect to see themes of the philosophy of trust and submission as well as sexuality. If you're here for the F/F trollsmut, though, this is what you've been waiting for.

**5.**  
  
    Porrim had thought the changes to her environment after Mindfang's first solo visit were significant, but those paled in comparison to what happened after the latest one: while her cell remained virtually unchanged, the room just outside of it was completely refurnished.  There was now a long, ornate couch, two chairs, beautiful curtains, and area rugs, and all of it in a rich blue shade.  A dining table, thermal hull and food preparation machines were installed by the droids in the far corners, and a door offering access to another load gaper, more private than the simple one she used next to her ablution trap, was unlocked and wide open.    
  
    All of this served no direct purpose for her as she still remained behind the bars, but the two things she had received certainly made her quite happy.  The first was a fairly large mirror, which was hung on the wall by the droids.  The second was much more surprising: a pair of scissors she found waiting for her on the edge of her ablution trap when she had awoken.  She now regarded the long, sharp instrument and couldn't think of any other prison that would even consider equipping its inmates with dangerous objects.   _This isn't a prison, remember;_ she thought, _this is her own hive.  She can give you whatever she pleases._    
  
    Before she started running the water for her evening bath, she disrobed and looked at herself in the mirror.  She was pleased to see that she looked pretty much the same as she always thought she did, but her hair was far longer and messier than she liked.   _That natural wave just doesn't work when it gets too unruly..._   She took the scissors and started removing large swaths of hair at first, then moved to trim more carefully as it took on the sharper up-swept shape that she favoured.  She hoped it turned out all right at the back as the mirror did not permit her to get a good look at it, but all things considered, not too many people were going to see it anyway.  
   
    Once she had it as close as possible to where she wanted it to be, she brushed off her shoulders and climbed into the trap.  As she soaked herself, a small droid entered between the bars and vacuumed up the shorn hairs.   _She certainly thinks of everything, doesn't she,_ Porrim thought as she watched the robot attend to the mess and then leave.    
  
    She stepped out of the trap, took a towel out of the drawer and dried herself off.  Once she had most of the excess water attended to, she put on the soft green robe, emptied the tub and then refilled it with clean water.  She added just a drop of the fragrant soap, and then retrieved her black and green dress.  She didn't trust giving this to the droids to wash like the bedsheets ( _although they must have washed it at one point,_ she thought); this dress she wore was made by her own hand while she was still in the Mother Grub's caverns.  The particular jade green dye was a by-product of the lichens that grew on the walls there and only there, which made it virtually impossible to replicate or replace.  She bent over into the trap and began to clean her dress using one of the cloths.    
  
    Her thoughts, as they tended to be as of late, were centered on Mindfang.   _It's been a couple of nights now... I wonder how soon she meant?_  It wasn't the gifts of the ablution trap or the robe or the mirror and scissors that had her excited; she found herself craving Spinneret's touch and the feel of those hands on her body.  Porrim was even past chastising herself for accepting the gifts, although the voice of caution had opted to make itself heard by using the itchy sensation of a healing bottom lip instead.  She even found it difficult to concentrate when she was  walking her nightly circuits; she could only make it around the bed two or three times before she would stop and take the earring out from under her pillow and it would ride along in her hand for the rest of the night.  Sometimes she felt the night would be flying by because it was there, but there were moments, especially shortly before sunrise, it felt like time was dragging its heels because Spinneret herself was unlikely to be joining her.  
   
    As she scrubbed away at her dress, Porrim collected her thoughts and tried to make some sense of them.  She had heard love could mess with one's senses but she had no idea it was like this.  The inner voice spoke up quite suddenly, _Love?  LOVE?  Infatuation, maybe, but there's no way you're in love with Marquise McBiteyFangs!  You are still in a cage!  You're just building yourself another one without visible bars now.  Stop acting like a silly schoolgrub and keep your wits about you!_  
  
    While her heart and mind continued to wage their secret war inside of her, she reached deep into the tub and pulled the plug.  She leaned forward and turned on the tap to rinse the soap off of the elaborate garment.  When she turned the water off to begin wringing it out, she was greeted by a sound she had been hoping to hear:  
  
    "Thank you for that lovely view, Porrrrrrrrim..."  
  
    She bolted straight up and realized that the short green robe had failed spectacularly in providing any cover whatsoever to her ample bottom.   Her face suddenly burned with embarrassment; she turned around to face her visitor while removing what she'd been unintentionally showing off from view.  
  
    Mindfang laughed pleasantly.  "Don't worry, my sweet, there's no need to hide that from me.  In fact, I very much look forward to seeing more of it!"    
  
    Porrim looked demurely at her feet.  "I... um... I'm glad you like what you see... It's just that this robe that you gave me is a little on the short side."  It was then that she noticed Mindfang was wearing one virtually identical, save for the colour which was blue like the towels... and nothing else.      
  
    "I certainly noticed!  Mine seems to have the same problem," beamed Mindfang; she did a quick about-face to prove it and Porrim grinned.  "Let's just say that when one goes shopping the way I go shopping, one doesn't often get to try on the merchandise before one leaves the store."    
  
    Porrim looked at her curiously.  "Can I ask you something?  And this isn't my Question Game question, okay?"  
  
    The Marquise laughed.  "All right, love!  Ask away!"  
  
    "What exactly do you do for a living, anyway?  I mean, you dress like a sea-dweller, although I'm pretty sure you aren't one.  If you work on the oceans, don't the royalbloods chase you down?"  
  
    The woman in blue stroked her chin as she contemplated how to answer.  "Oh, they most certainly try to," she offered, "but let's just say they don't tend to fare terribly well against a superior foe.   I'm what you would call a Gamblignant; I get my thrills in taking risks and taking what isn't necessarily mine... at least to start with.   And it just so happens that I get my kicks in taking from the wealthiest and most powerful of our society; it's not like they're going to miss it much anyway.  Everything you see in this room," she said as she swept her arms open, causing her belt to loosen and the robe to fall open (which immediately caught Porrim's attention), "I obtained through my sea-faring adventures.  Of course, a life like mine doesn't come without its risks..."  Mindfang ran a slender finger across the particularly bright blue scar under her right breast.  "I've been on the business end of a blade more than once, but all that matters is that my blade has been equal to the task so far, and I'm still standing!"    
  
    She watched intently as Mindfang made her way to the couch and laid herself down upon it.   _Either she's oblivious that her robe is open,_ she thought, _or she just doesn't mind. I'd bet on the latter..._  
  
    "Soooooooo... what do you think of the room now?  This is what it looked like before it was modified for your arrival."  Mindfang ran a hand across the cushions of the couch.  "This is oh so soft; you really should feel it.  It would make that robe feel like sandpaper, I swear."  
  
    Porrim was up against the bars now.  "Would you let me come out there so I can feel it for myself?  I could probably tell you what kind of fabric that is."  
  
    At that, the Marquise rose from the couch and met her at the bars.  "I thought you'd never ask!  There's nothing I want more than to open this door and let you explore this room.  I had it refurnished for your use, after all!  Howeverrrrrrrr..."  She let the word hang there before continuing, "There's one more thing you need to do.  You might recall I mentioned a test last time we were together?"  Porrim nodded but couldn't repress the slight chill in her stomach.  "Well, this is a test of trust.  All you have to do are two simple tasks, and in return, I will give you two gifts: not only will you get free rein to move about this room, but I will reward you with the greatest sensation you can possibly imagine."  She slipped a hand through the bars and caressed Porrim's face; the other brought her own hand up and pressed Mindfang's more firmly against her cheek, inhaled deeply and closed her eyes.  
  
    "What do you want me to do?"  
  
    Mindfang slid her finger over to Porrim's lips, where it was kissed and lightly sucked  on.  "Let's do one at a time, love.  The first requires you to give yourself over to me completely.  I know this might be a challenge for you, but after our last meeting, I think you're up for it."  
  
    Porrim's breathing picked up in speed somewhat.  "What are you asking me to do, exactly?"  
  
    "It's the simplest little thing; so, so easy.  All you need to do to show me that you trust me is to go over to the bed, and put one - just one - of the shackles on your arm.  Obviously you can't put them both on yourself, so all I'm asking is that you do one.  I will take care of the others.  Once you are all nicely snuggled in, I promise I will take you somewhere you've never been before... and you will beg me to take you back to again and again!  Can you do that, dear heart?"  
  
    She released Mindfang's hand and took a step back from the bars.  Then Porrim looked over her shoulder at the restraints chained to the bedframe, hanging open in anticipation of accepting someone's appendage.  Memories of being held down by the guards while they quickly locked her down on the bed flooded her and her legs began to shake slightly; she sat down on the silvery sheets and tried to compose herself.  "I... I'm not sure..." she stuttered, "I really didn't like being held against my will with those."  
  
    "That's the difference!" whispered Mindfang.  "It's not against your will!  The point is that it's YOUR will that being carried out!  If you choose to put it on, you're saying that you're ready to move ahead!"  Porrim regarded her with wide eyes; her gaze flicked between Mindfang's face and the open restraint to her right.  "Please, dear... I want to trust you so badly!  I want to give you this more than anything else in the world right now!  Show me you're strong enough to let someone else take control, and I will steer your ship to a place unlike any other!"  
  
    Porrim picked up the arm restraint with trembling hands.  She swallowed hard before speaking, "I can do this..."    
  
    "Yes, you can!" encouraged Mindfang. "Please!  Do it for me!"  
  
    She looked up at the woman she called Spinneret one more time... then placed her arm inside the shackle.  She put the two halves together and they closed with a soft click.  "There.  I'm all yours."  A tear rolled down her cheek, but she was smiling in spite of it.  
  
    "At last..." Mindfang pulled the key out of the pocket of her robe, opened the door, and left it open.  She sat down beside Porrim on the bed, took her chin in her hand, and kissed her lips long and hard.  After a few moments, she broke away and said, "Lie down, my sweet.  You belong to me now."    
  
    Porrim found that she was still a bit scared, but the swell of emotions that she felt when kissing Spinneret were amplified by that fear.  She put her head on the pillows and extended her left arm.  The other woman was already over there and guided her arm into the other restraint.  Once it was locked in, Mindfang made her way to the end of the bed, proceeded to gently pull her legs slightly apart and then placed her ankles in the shackles waiting down there.  She was now completely at her mercy; _she could slit my throat right now and there wouldn't be a thing I could do about it,_ said the inner voice.  This time, however, there was a response: _she wouldn't have gone through all of this trouble if she wanted to kill me; in fact, I think could be the most exciting night I've ever known..._ She looked up at the lamps above the bed and tried to relax, but the excitement and trepidation made it almost impossible.  She raised her head to watch the other woman adjusting the position of her legs; the shackles at the foot of the bed came up from underneath as they were attached to the legs of the bed; there was nothing down there to mirror the metal posts of the headboard.    
  
    Once Mindfang had everything where she wanted she gave Porrim a wide smile, tore off her robe, which was barely hanging on in the first place, and flung it to the floor.  She placed one knee on the foot of the bed, and then the other, and began crawling up towards her trusting captive until she was all but straddling her.  She placed her hands on either side of Porrim's head and leaned forward to kiss her, which was returned with as much passion as it was given.  Spinneret broke away and leaned in to Porrim's ear, then whispered, "And now, your reward for being so trusting.  Just remember, dear heart, the trick is to keep breathing..."  
  
    Porrim was puzzled by this remark, but soon stopped dwelling on it as Mindfang took an ear into her mouth, which sent shivers through her body.  As that mouth made its way down to her neck and spent time kissing and sucking; Porrim found herself actually forgetting to breathe at times and suddenly it made sense.  Mindfang sat back up and used one finger to untie Porrim's green robe by slipping it under the loose knot and slowly pulling upward.  Once undone, she used both hands to throw it open; Porrim felt very exposed, but it excited her even further.  She wanted to reach up and touch Spinneret's breasts, slide her fingers down those smooth cones and stroke those beautiful blue points but her hands were being held back from doing so; it both frustrated her and made her want to do it all the more because she couldn't actually do it.    
  
    Spinneret seemed to notice this:  "See what I mean?  Sometimes not being able to do something is as much fun as being able to do it!  Your turn will come soon enough, and then you'll be almost burning to return what I'm about to do to you.  Can I assume it was something like this?"  She slid down slightly, inhaled deeply, and then flicked Porrim's nipple with her tongue before engulfing a fair amount of her breast in her mouth.      
  
    "Yes..." was all Porrim could manage to say before the pleasure made it too difficult to articulate anything further.  The tingling between her legs had erupted into a full fledged ache, the likes of which she had never known.  She could feel Spinneret's mouth move back and forth between each of her nipples; her long black hair lightly tickled the skin around her chest, which only served to heighten the sensations.  Eventually the kisses made their way down her stomach, and she involuntarily twitched hard.  Mindfang looked up to her, questioningly.  "Sorry... it appears I'm very ticklish there!"  
   
    "Well then..." replied Mindfang, "let's try elsewhere and see what happens!"  She slid further down the bed and brushed her fingertips down the inside of Porrim's thighs.  Another shiver and she almost lifted her backside off of the bed.  "It appears that's ticklish, too, yessssssss?"  
  
    "Not as much... that was just... really... intense!"  
  
    Mindfang smiled and replied, "Maybe I should just use my mouth here instead, then," and started to suck lightly high up on her thighs.  Porrim was now aware that the other woman had a full view of what was between her legs now, but she didn't care; in fact, she was hoping that something Spinneret did would help her release the pounding tension down there.  She had a feeling that she may just get her wish soon enough as she felt a hand brush across her warm and wet parts and she involuntarily inhaled.  "Oh... something tells me that felt rather good, didn't it?"  All she could do was quietly moan in reply and then there were two hands lightly stroking her lower lips; there was no mistaking the feeling of wetness down there.  Suddenly a light tugging feeling as those two hands parted her soft fullness, and she was aware of a small, tight point throbbing along with her accelerated heartbeat, demanding attention.  "Well, hello there..." purred Spinneret, "I was hoping to sneak up on you, but it looks like you decided to make yourself visible first.  All in good time, my dear..."    
  
    The next thing Porrim felt was something soft and wet touching a spot near that raging pulse, then pulling away and touching down again nearby.   _Oh my... that's her tongue..._ and she wondered why she had waited so long to experience this.  She wanted to grab Mindfang's hair and push her towards that throbbing nub, but her hands were bound and she was forced to endure Spinneret's awful and wonderful teasing.  Again and again that tongue flicked around and around, until it actually flicked her nub dead on.  She felt her entire body vibrate and she cried out.    
  
    "Hmmmmmmmm... that sounded interesting!  Let's try that again."  This time, Porrim thrashed against her restraints as Mindfang's tongue kept flicking against her aching bits until suddenly there was a change from pulsing to a steady pulling as she took it into her mouth.  The feeling defied description; she couldn't even think straight.  Only a brief admonition from Spinneret of "Breathe!" kept her from completely forgetting to do so.  
  
    As if this wasn't enough, she could feel those long fingers still stroking up and down her lips.  She sensed one starting to push against her wet opening and her eyes rolled back in her head as she tried to push her hips down onto it.  As she did, she felt a fair amount of wetness escape from her and run down between her legs.  She then sensed another finger using that moisture to stroke and push against her other opening and her eyes opened with surprise as she gasped again.  "Don't worry, love... that feels good for a reason.  I don't want you to miss out on any of the possible sensations your body is capable of; just relax and enjoy it!"  
  
    "Didn't know... it could feel... so good..." was all Porrim could bring herself to say before she slipped back into the ether of the pleasure being inflicted on her.  Her legs shook uncontrollably as the fingers gently entered her and she wasn't even aware of the noises she was making; her own voice sounded a million miles away.  Suddenly, the firm bit that was the recipient of all the licking and sucking began to tremble and her breathing quickened considerably.  She felt as though her entire world had been drawn down into that one point and it was on the verge of exploding into pieces.  Spinneret continued to lick and kiss and suck and work her fingers in and out and Porrim could find no refuge, nor did she want one.  The sudden wave that was building inside of her was indescribable and as it continued to swell, she did forget to breathe.  The last things she remembered were a distant howl, a flood of wetness between her legs, and an incredible feeling so strong that the word "pleasure" was a mere shadow of a description...  
  
  
    When the darkness lifted, all she could see were floating lights like stars in her vision and Mindfang's face looking curiously back at her.  The lamp above created a soft yellow aura around her hair and horns and the shimmering lights in her own eyes made Spinneret seem even more beautiful; Porrim wanted to tell her this but words were still beyond her current capabilities.  Mindfang stroked her hair and whispered "take your time, dear; no rush.  You forgot to breathe, I know... happens to many of us the first time we climax."    
  
    Porrim took a deep breath and tried to get her bearings.  "Was that what that was?  It was... just... there are no words..."  She realized she was actually crying and she turned her head away to hide her tears.  She tried to bring her hand to her face to wipe them away, suddenly remembered she wouldn't be able to because her hands were bound, and was then surprised to feel a soft touch wiping them for her.    
  
    "Again, you're not the first, my sweet.  I think I cried my first time, too, and to be honest, I think that's the last time I wept and it was so long ago...  But that doesn't matter now.  Come on and sit up!"  
  
    Porrim was about to ask how when she realized the restraints had been removed; she was once again free.  She sat up on the bed and rubbed her wrists; they were a touch sore, but nothing too terrible.  It was also then she noticed a green puddle on the bed; she initially wondered how she lost that much blood, but then it dawned on her that it wasn't blood, but her own sexual release.  She blushed brightly, but Mindfang took her hand and said "There's nothing to be ashamed of here!  That was a hell of a first time!  And don't worry about the sheets; they're meant for this sort of thing.    
  
    She sniffed and asked, "Really?  I guess it helps when you have someone who knows what she's doing showing you how."    
  
    Mindfang gave her a smile.  "Well, thank you.  Now, if you recall, I mentioned that there would be a test afterwards.  Would you like to try and apply what you've learned?"    
  
    Porrim was a little concerned that she wouldn't be any good at it, but at this point, she'd be willing to fetch both moons for Spinneret if she'd asked.  "I suppose I could try... I just hope it's to your standards.  Remember, I've never done this before!"  
  
    "Oh, don't you worry; it won't take much to get me going.  Finally getting to make you come was plenty arousing for me; this should be an easy job for you, trust me."  She pointed out a blue spot on the sheets near the end of the bed where she was laying to illustrate this point.  "See?  I'm halfway there.  Now, for starters, you might be most comfortable kneeling beside the bed while I sit on the edge.  Why don't you use your robe as a cushion for your knees?  Use mine, too, if you need it."  
  
    Amazingly, Porrim had completely forgotten she was still wearing the green robe.  She removed it now and folded it up before tossing it down. Then she went over to pick up Spinneret's, and as she bent over to get it, she heard her say "take your time; like I said earlier, I enjoy the view!" Porrim laughed quietly, trying to figure out how someone could possibly enjoy looking at her rear end, and yet, she recalled enjoying doing the same as Spinneret climbed into the ablution trap last time.   _Fair's fair, I suppose..._    
  
    Once she had the blue robe folded and on the floor beside the bed, she knelt down on the two robes, and then looked up at Mindfang, who had slid herself to the edge of the mattress.   Porrim was now at eye level with Spinneret's most intimate parts; the ones that identified her as female, for all that it mattered to her race.  It occurred to her right then that she'd never really seen anyone else's up close like this before, and she hadn't really spent a lot of time looking at her own, either.  She understood the form and function, but she was still unsure how to proceed now that she was expected to pleasure someone else.  Mindfang brushed Porrim's hair gently and said, "Don't worry, it's easy once you get started.  Do you remember what I did to you?  Let me show you..."  She opened her legs wider and pulled her lips slightly open; Porrim could see that one spot at the top, front and center, flushed in a bright blue colour.  "Do you see that?" asked Mindfang.  
  
    "How could I miss it?" she replied.  "What would you like me to do to it?"  
  
    A long blue finger pointed to areas around the engorged blue nub.  "Use your tongue to touch all around it; not only is it a tease, but it helps to desensitize it slightly.  It's far too sensitive to simply go right for it to start, but work around it with your tongue and then, once it's all yours, cover your teeth with your tongue and take it between your lips and suck.  Don't worry... you'll get the hang of it in no time."  
  
    Porrim took a deep breath and brought her face closer.  The floral scent of the soap was mingled with notes of something she couldn't come up with a name for, but it was a primal essence, and while it wasn't something she would have considered overtly pleasant, it was completely compelling and irresistible.  She slowly extended her tongue and placed it alongside the bluest part of Spinneret and made small circles.  She could hear the other exhale with a sound of unmistakeable pleasure, and this encouraged her to move to another spot and do the same.  Eventually she made her way around and then she tried a few spots further down; the soft skin on her lips had a fuller and slightly more yielding texture, but she could feel Spinneret's breathing change so she made her way back up.  Porrim slipped her tongue up over her bottom teeth and wrapped her mouth ever so gently around the blue gem; Mindfang's body shivered and she whispered, "Yessssssss... love me with your mouth..."  Porrim obliged as best as she could and started lightly sucking on it.    
  
    Mindfang's hands clutched the sheets hard as waves of bliss tore through her.  She let go of the bed with her left hand, and put it into Porrim's hair while pushing her even closer in.  After a couple of minutes, she sighed, "Use your fingers... slide them into me..."  
  
    Porrim released her mouth's embrace on Spinneret, looked up to her face, then back down at where she'd been.  "I just want to make sure I know where I'm putting them... I haven't been this close to a... to a... well..."  
  
    "Seedflap?" asked Mindfang.  Porrim grimaced slightly at the word and Spinneret stroked one of her horns.  "I know. Such a crude word for something so beautiful, isn't it?  Have no fear, though; let me point the way..."  She showed her the two options for places where a digit would be welcomed, and when Porrim gave her an uncertain look concerning the lower one, she added, "Don't worry; I'm just as meticulous in my ablutions as you are.   Clean as can be.  Believe me, it adds a whole other dimension to the sensations down there... wouldn't you agree?"  Porrim blushed a bit and smiled; it was all so much for her to take in she could barely recall it all.  "Just remember to make sure your fingers are nice and wet before you try, though.  There's plenty of moisture right here for you..." She guided Porrim's hand to her soft, wet opening and had her slide a finger in.  "That's riiiiiiiight... now turn your hand so you can curl your finger upward."  She complied.  "Now start stoking in there... good... okay, use a finger from your other hand and pick up some of the wet, then stroke the other one at the same time..."  Spinneret was unable to say much more for a moment as Porrim did as she was told; she threw her head back and enjoyed the dual pressures that acted upon her.  After a few moments, she regained her composure enough to add, "Okay... that's excellent... just bring back that tongue of yours and you're golden.  And if I tap your horn twice, you might want to pull back... could get a bit messy..."    
  
    Porrim closed her eyes and resumed caressing Spinneret's swollen nub with her mouth.  She was growing used to the scents and tastes that filled her senses and even though she was the one administering the gratification, she took great joy from knowing how what she was doing felt first-hand now.  She kept at it until Mindfang began to arch her back and push herself towards Porrim's face, but she continued with both her fingers and tongue until she heard her partner's breathing pick up speed.  There was a rapid tap on her horn and it took her a moment to register what it was, but she remembered the warning, and as she pulled her face back, she heard a high pitched squeal and suddenly both the bed and her breasts were covered in a warm blue fluid.  While she tried to figure out what exactly to do with it, Spinneret flopped backwards on the bed and moaned; small convulsions pulsed through her as she squirmed around on the sheets.  "That..." she panted, "was absolutely wonderfullllllll..."    
  
    Once she got back on her feet, Porrim looked around for something to wipe herself down with.  She considered the robes, but thought that's probably what she'd be putting back on to wear since her dress was still drying out.  She looked down and found the robes were still clean; her chest bore most of what came from Spinneret.    
  
    After thinking about it for a moment, she decided that her best bet was another soak in the ablution trap.  As she started running the water, Mindfang looked over at her and said, "Hey, Beautiful!  Let me see what happened!" Porrim turned to face her; she took a glimpse at her blue-smeared breasts and laughed.  "Hee hee... I warned you it was coming!  Don't fret, though, my sweet... sex is only dirty if it's done right!"    
  
    "Actually, it doesn't bother me, really," she replied, "One of my duties at the Mother Grub's caverns was to receive the buckets the drones brought in and carry them to her.  It's not a big deal to me at all.  I've just never actually seen where it came from before... much less wore it around on myself like a shirt!"  
  
    Mindfang sat up and chuckled.  "Porrim Maryam – fashion trend setter.  Careful, dear, you might just start a new fad!  Now, if it's all the same, I'm gonna crawl in there with you."    
  
    Porrim felt a little odd at hearing her full name being spoken by someone she had never actually told it to... consciously, at least.  She turned off the tap, climbed into the tub, and backed herself up into the corner while Spinneret got in as well.  She picked up the cloth and wet it; as she was about to begin scrubbing, Mindfang held out her hand and said, "Let me help you with that."  Porrim handed it over and let her rinse the blue from her breasts; she felt they were still quite sensitive, but the act of letting someone else wash her was a new one and she found she enjoyed it very much.  Once she was done, Spinneret dunked her own head in the water, turned around to face away from Porrim and asked, "Help me wash my hair?"  
  
    "What would you like me to do?"  
  
    Mindfang lay back against her chest.  "Just run your hands through it lots.  If you want to rub my scalp, that would be great, too."  
  
    Again feeling a bit lost about what exactly she should be doing, Porrim gamely did her best to accommodate.  As the other woman relaxed against her, she felt good to be doing something nice for someone else.  "Since we're using full names," she started, "do you ever plan to tell me yours?"  
  
    Spinneret moved her head slightly to one side to indicate where she wanted to be rubbed next.  "All in good time, dear heart.  Sometimes a little mystery can make things more exciting, no?"  Porrim wasn't sure what to make of that, but continued massaging her head.  Mindfang closed her eyes and relaxed.  "Funny you should mention names, though... I have a couple of questions for you.  Why did you call yourself 'Dolorosa'?"  
  
    Porrim started lightly stroking Spinneret's horns, which made her moan softly.  "I don't suppose I can play the 'mystery' card here, too?"  
  
    "Nope.  That's my prerogative."  
  
    Here Porrim sighed,  "Well, when it became apparent that the Signless was going to be something much more than we ever thought possible, it made it that much more bittersweet to know that he'd have a short life, even if he hadn't met the fate he did..."  As she told the tale, Spinneret reached a hand up to her hair and took one of Porrim's hands in her own.  "I think I was already grieving his inevitable loss long before it happened, so I took on the code name 'Dolorosa'.  It means grief, sorrow or doleful, but I don't know where the word came from.  I just... liked the sound of it.  It felt right for me.  Now, here I am, wherever that is, and he's gone.  All of my friends are gone..."  
  
    Mindfang rolled over and embraced her.  "You have me, love!  I'm sure they meant an awful lot to you, but there's nothing stopping you from making new friends... friends that really do enjoy your company.  Especially ones that share an ablution trap with you!"  
  
    This brought a slight smile to Porrim's face.  "I suppose so... doesn't mean I miss them any less, though."  
  
    "I never suggested it did, not for a second.  But there's something I'm curious about: that feral girl... the one called 'Disciple,' I believe?  What was her name?  Do you remember?"  
  
    Porrim considered her response for a moment.  "Why do you ask?"  
  
    "In order to find out, of course!  Just curious, really..."  
  
    Another thoughtful pause.  "I... I can't tell you."  
  
    Mindfang studied her face carefully.  "You can't?"  Porrim shook her head.  "Can't... or  won't?  There's a subtle but important difference, you know."  
  
    Porrim dropped her shoulders.  "I just can't right now.  That's one of the things I need to keep close to me.  Do you understand?"  
  
    "Not really, but I do wish you'd reconsider..."  
  
    She searched Mindfang's face for a reason.  "Why is that so important?"  
  
    "It's more important than you know, my sweet.  It's another one of those matters of trust.  I'm a little surprised you aren't more willing to share it with me..."  
  
    "It's not that... it's just... something personal.   I know she got away, and I don't want to put her in any further jeopardy.  If too many people knew her name, they might have a better chance of finding her."  In her heart, Porrim knew there was no way anyone would find her; the girl was, if nothing else, a survivor.  If she didn't want to be found, she would not be, and if anyone did find her, they wouldn't live long enough to tell anyone else.  
  
    Mindfang nodded.  "I see.  Tell you what, let's dry off and go for a walkabout, shall we?  You've got a whole new room to have a look at!"  She rose from the tub and as she was about to get out, something came over Porrim and she gave Spinneret's backside a playful swat.  This earned her a look from Mindfang with raised eyebrows.  "Excuse me, but did I say you could do that, dear?"  
  
    Porrim felt like she was in trouble and cast her eyes downward.  "No... Sorry."  A hand was extended to her, and she took it and stood up.    
  
    "I suppose I'll let it go this time," Mindfang rebuked, "but just so you know, if you choose to slap my bottom in the future, be prepared to have the favour returned twofold!"  This was followed by two rapid smacks on Porrim's wet rump, which elicited a quick yelp from her and brought a smile back to her face at the same time.  Once they were both out of the tub, Mindfang grabbed two towels from the drawer and dried Porrim off with one of them, then gave herself a perfunctory wipe down with the other before wrapping her hair with it.   Porrim went to retrieve the robes from the floor and Spinneret stopped her.  "No need for those.  Clothes may be beautiful, but I do find them unnecessarily restrictive at times.  If I had my way, I'd never get dressed.  Come on, let's go!"  She grabbed Porrim's hand and led her towards the open door.    
  
    Porrim followed, her pusher beating quickly with anticipation.  As they crossed the threshold, hand in hand, she once again found herself excited, but in a different way.   _This certainly has been a night, hasn't it, she thought, and it's not over yet!_  
   
    "First things first," said Spinneret as they crossed the large room, "I don't know about you, but all that fun made me hungry.  Let's go see what's in the thermal hull for us to eat!"  Once they got to it, she opened it up and pulled out some juice and some sort of grubloaf.  Porrim now realized that one of the objects against the far wall was a cupboard with plates and glasses with a sink installed in the top of it.  Within a few minutes, they were seated at the dining table, enjoying their meal.  "I must admit, I'm a terrible cook," Mindfang said, dipping her loaf into the sauce, "I leave the baking to others.  I hope this is to your satisfaction?"  
  
    Porrim nodded.  "This tuber paste is exquisite!  Where did you find it?"  
  
    "A place far, far away from this one.  I honestly couldn't tell you where it came from originally, but I know where I got my hands on it; let's leave it at that."  Once they were finished, Mindfang rinsed their plates and cups (Porrim enjoyed about three glasses of the juice; she couldn't remember being so thirsty) and said, "I'm gonna use the gaper; feel free to use it once I'm done if you need to!"  
  
    She was surprised at how excited she was at the idea of using a private toilet again.  One of those things you don't appreciate until you lose it, she thought.  Once Mindfang was finished, Porrim almost scurried in, leaving the other woman chuckling quietly outside.    
  
    When she emerged, she found Spinneret holding a remote control of some sort.  "Watch this!" The wall panel slid aside to reveal a library; Porrim couldn't remember the last time she'd had a chance to simply sit and enjoy reading.  Another simple pleasure taken for granted...  "Pretty neat, eh?  Here's another one!"  A wall on the other side of the room opened to reveal a large screen.  "Network access, plus pretty much any music you could ask for.  I had to keep this all covered up before, but there's plenty to do in this room for someone who wanted to do it!"    
  
    Porrim took it all in; so many of the simple pleasures she was unable take part in for such a long time like books and music were here at her fingertips.  And yet, she found herself unable to focus on them; with the nude form of the woman who had just shown her how incredible physical love could be standing in front of her, she simply had no eyes for anything else.  "I could think of something I'd like to do..."  
  
    Mindfang raised an eyebrow.  "Oh, realllllllly?  Such as?"  
  
    She gave Spinneret a wide smile, her own fangs quite visible.  "You..."  
  
    "My, my!  I've created a monster, have I?  Well, then, who am I to argue?"  Mindfang strutted over to the long blue couch, removed the towel from her hair and draped it over the cushions.  "Good thing I brought this along, yessssssss?" She reclined on the couch, draped one leg over the side to expose her already-flushed labia and beckoned Porrim to join her, which she willingly did.    
  
    Moments later, her mouth was on Spinneret's mouth, and then on her breasts, and then much further down. Before long, hands and lips and fingers and tongues met again and again, and Porrim's second experience in both giving and then receiving was well underway.  They ended up on the floor in front of the couch, covered in sweat and each other's colours, and as Spinneret's fingers and tongue took her over the edge for the second time, she remembered to breathe...  
  
    And it was wonderful.

 

  
  
    Once they had cleaned up and spent the rest of the night in each other's company, Porrim re-entered her cell and watched the sun start to rise.  Spinneret was in her bed, waiting for her.  "Why do you do that, anyway?" she asked, "Doesn't the sun hurt your eyes?"  
  
    "Strangely, no; I've actually always kind of liked the light.  There's something sort of... romantic about the daytime.  When I used to have time to read, I enjoyed stories about Rainbow Drinkers and Daywalkers; just the very thought of those who can spend the day outside in the red light  makes me wonder what it's like!  You would almost have the whole world to yourself.  No fighting, no killing... just peace and quiet."    
  
    Mindfang nodded.  "Peace and quiet, hm?  Sounds like something the Signless would say."  Porrim spun to face her at the sound of his name, and she added, "I heard some of his sermons, you know.  Unlike many I associate with, I was not unsympathetic to his teachings.   There are a lot of times I think to myself 'what's the point of all this conflict? Where does it get us?  It just leads to lives lost and nothing but misery and pain with no gain at all.'  Maybe that's part of what I find so fascinating about you, Porrim; some of what he had to say must have come from you, after all."  
  
    She didn't quite know what to say to that.  "I don't think I had a whole lot to do with it.  He was just such a kind, gentle soul.  He thought in a way that seemed to reach past all the dark teachings our race has known and got a lot of people questioning their lot in life.  Are we all supposed to willingly sacrifice our lives as fodder in the Condesce's mad wars or should we stop for a moment and try to understand how precious and special our lives actually are so that maybe we won't be so quick to slaughter one another, never mind any of the other species we encounter in the depths of space?"  
  
    Spinneret propped herself up on her elbow and gave her a warm smile.  "I love listening to you talk like this.  It's refreshing to hear such idealism.  Sometimes I have to admit I get so jaded by the world we live in.  I've seen some pretty awful things - been involved in a few, too - but it takes a special and rare kind of courage to stand up in the face of overwhelming opposition and speak your mind, even though you know full well what the consequences will be.  It shows me that under the right circumstances, you'll do what it takes to make a difference.  Am I right?"  
  
    Porrim sat down on the bed and then slipped under the covers with her.  "I don't really know.  Like I said, I don't think I had a lot to do with what happened.  Not a day goes by when I don't think about what could have been done differently so that maybe his message might have reached even more ears and maybe then we could have seen actual change.  I know that the Condesce has a powerful personality and can sway many to her will..."  
  
    "You're not kidding..." muttered Mindfang.  
  
    "... but I like to think that if enough people took the time to stop and think about what it is that we're doing, then just maybe there's hope for our society.  I worry that without him, the message he had will be completely lost..."  A tear rolled down Porrim's cheek onto her pillow.    
  
    Spinneret placed a comforting hand on her face.  "Don't worry, dear heart, I'm pretty sure from what I've heard out there that the message hasn't been lost.  It just needs the right voice to keep it going; a voice like yours, perhaps?"  
  
    Porrim gave her an uncertain look.  "I can't possibly see how I can do that from here!  Besides, I'm a criminal, remember?  Why else would I be here?"  
  
    "You still see this as a prison, don't you?   It doesn't have to be, my dear.  However, it's going to have to take a lot of courage on your part to make it something more."  
  
    "What do you mean by that?"  
  
    Spinneret pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.  "Let's talk about that tomorrow."  
  
    "Does this mean you're sleeping here with me?"    
     
    "Mm-hmm.  I hope you're not a cover-thief."    
  
    Porrim thought about it for a moment.  "I have no idea.  I've never slept with someone else in the same bed before.  At least, not without clothes on!"  The realization that she was still undressed and so was Mindfang made her nipples stiffen and she felt desire stirring below her waist again.    
  
    Spinneret slipped her arm around her.  "Maybe you should hang onto that for tonight, my beautiful jewel.  I would suggest you think about just how much you enjoyed today and what it's going to take to keep it happening."  
  
    She snuggled in closer and kissed Spinneret on the lips.  "I'm not sure I understand what you mean."  
  
    "You will soon enough.  At least, I hope you do... for both our sakes."  
  
    Porrim still wasn't sure what to make of that, but all she knew as she drifted off into the deepest sleep she'd had in many moons was that she would remember this night for the rest of her life.


	6. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Porrim spends the night of her life with her new friend, she wakes to find that perhaps not all is as it seemed with the Marquise. Things have begun to disappear from her cellblock and promises made have not come to fruition. Porrim finds herself on the receiving end of a psychological assault not only from her captor, but also from her own head and heart as she struggles to deal with a question of morals and the definition of red romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here’s where things kinda go off the rails a bit…
> 
> Hope you’re enjoying this story! Thanks for all the kudos and notes so far! I'm really glad you've taken the time to read this tale! This chapter has some darker elements to it, and certainly plays more into the “Dolorosa as Mindfang’s slave” expectations for the story, if not necessarily the same way as many would expect.
> 
> To say more would be to ruin the tale, which I’m not about to do…
> 
> For those of you curious, there are 16 chapters and two ending pieces (an epilogue and a coda). Some chapters are longer and some are shorter. All of them have words. :) 
> 
> Okay, brace yourselves. Shit is about to get real.

 

 

 

 

  
**6.**

    When Porrim awoke, she was surprised to see that the sun had already set.   _How long have I slept?  It feels like nights and nights..._ She suddenly realized that she was alone in the bed, and there was no sign of Spinneret.  I'm sure she must've had something important to do, she thought, and sat up.  She was making her way over to the load gaper when she remembered that there was a much nicer and more private one now available to her.  She started heading for the door of the cell and noticed, much to her dismay, that it was once again locked.   She tried to push it open, but it wouldn't give.  She wanted to check around the floor for a key or something that Spinneret may have left behind for her to use, but her need to visit the toilet was far too compelling, so she ran to the corner to make use of it.  
   
    Once her bladder was empty, she decided to just go about her day as per usual: she turned on the tap for her bath but was surprised to find that the water wasn't warm at all.   _What the... is this thing broken?_  Porrim looked at it in hopes of figuring out why it wasn't working properly, but she didn't know the first thing about plumbing.  She simply waited for a while in hopes the water would start to heat up, but it never did.  She grabbed the sponge, dipped it in the cool water and started scrubbing.   _I did it this way for the first lunar perigee; I suppose I can do it again.  I'll have to ask Spinneret what's going on here._  
   
    Once she was finished giving herself a perfunctory bath, Porrim put on her black and green gown.   _I didn't even wear this once yesterday,_ she thought warmly as she recalled the events of the previous night.   _I didn't wear much of anything yesterday, come to think of it..._ She gazed longingly out to the rest of the room; the blue towel that covered the cushions of the couch was gone, but the panels that covered the computer and the bookshelves were wide open.   _Not a lot of good those do me at the moment._  She wondered to herself why Spinneret had locked the door on her; _I thought she said I would have the run of the room now. Where is she, anyway?_

    Lacking anything else to do, Porrim began her nightly walk.   _I sure didn't do a whole lot of walking last night, did I?_  She smirked at the thought, which brought memories of her escapades flowing through her mind.  The scent of Spinneret's soap, the touch of her hands and tongue on her body, the secret taste of her sexual places... all of this raced through her mind and it was all she could think about.  She reached under the pillow on her first pass and grabbed the earring as though she was a starving streetgrub and it was a week old loaf.  

    As she made her circuits, her thoughts began to vacillate between _what a wonderful night!_ and _did I do something wrong?  Why did she leave?_  Over the next hours, these same thoughts wore a hole through her psyche and it was only the arrival of her meal, courtesy of the droids, that managed to derail them.  She opened the cover to find it was the same standard bland grubloaf that she was getting earlier in her stay; no special sauces could be found.   _Maybe the droids just have a standard recipe... but this is kind of strange._  She didn't even taste the food; she simply ate it, drank the water that came with it, and tossed the container outside the bars, where it was quickly attended to.  

    As the night moved along, the voice that asked the questions she didn't want to answer became louder in her ears:   _So you decided to trust her; where did that get you? One minute she's got a couple of fingers in you, the next she's nowhere to be seen and you're still locked up.  Guess you're nothing more to her than just another toy, then?_  

    "No!" she shouted, "There's more to it than that!  I know there is!"  There was no audible response, of course, but the inner voice continued to pester her:   _How do you know?  Did she tell you she'd still be here when you woke?  She got what she wanted from you: she got to deflower a virgin.  You're nothing more than her latest conquest; simply another slave chained to a whipping post._

    Before she knew it, the entire night had slipped past and she didn't even bother taking in the sunrise; she couldn't wait to get undressed and climb into her recupracoon so that the voices of self-doubt and paranoia echoing inside her head would finally be silenced by the sopor slime and she might find some answers in her slumber, or at the very least, some peace.

 

    She awoke at sunset, and once she was done with the load gaper, Porrim turned on the water in the ablution trap.   _Cold again... superb._  Through bleary eyes, she scanned the room; nothing had changed since the night before... except in her cell:  the mirror, and the scissors that accompanied it, were gone.   _Okay, that's strange.  What is going on here?_  She cleaned herself up, got dressed, grabbed the earring and went on her way.  

    Her thoughts about how beautiful and wonderful Spinneret was were occasionally punctuated by ones that suggested she was the one behind the ablution trap running cold and the missing mirror.   _That doesn't make any sense; why on Alternia would she do something like that?  What would it accomplish?_  The response was:   _what the Marquise gives, the Marquise takes away; should've known better than to give your heart to a gamblignant!  She's taken that, too, apparently..._

    Again, her meal arrived in the claws of a droid, and again, it was flavourless.  She resumed her pacing, but now, the negative voice was well-entrenched and she couldn't help but wonder if she had offended her lover ( _jailor!_ ) somehow.   _This doesn't make sense; she was so wonderful and gentle and... amazing.  Why would she leave me alone this way?_

    _You haven't been entirely open with her, have you?  You held back,_ was the response to that question. _And for what?  To protect someone who they'll never find anyway?_ It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't answered one of Spinneret's questions.   _Could that be it?  Is she really upset about something like that?  But I want to protect my friend!  How can she not understand that?_

    Porrim stopped pacing and flopped down on the bed; she felt slightly sick to her stomach and wished the sensation would go away.  She buried her face in one of the pillows and felt tears start to well up.   _This isn't fair and it isn't right!  Why would she make me choose between my friend and her?_  This question of morals tore into her and she clutched the pillow and wept until she fell asleep on the bed.  

 

    When she next awoke, the room was dark save for the pale light from the lamps above.  She rolled over to try and get an idea what time of day or night it was, but the window was shut.

 

    Porrim didn't even bother with the ablution trap; she just started rapidly pacing.  She couldn't tell if she was angry, sad or hurt, but even walking wasn't helping her sort out her emotions.  After a few minutes, she gave up and threw herself on the bed.  "Spinneret!  I want to talk to you!" she called out.  "Please!"  She covered her face with her hands and hot tears rolled down the sides of her face again.  

    "I thought you'd never ask, Porrrrrrrrim..."

    She bolted upright; Mindfang was standing outside the bars, fully decked out in her leather coat and red boots, but also wearing a black hat with a long white feather perched on her head.  Her arms were crossed, and she looked impassively at the woman behind the bars.  Porrim flew off the bed and met her face-to-face.  "Where have you been?  I've missed you..."

    Spinneret extended her gloved hand through the bars and wiped one of her tears away.  "I've missed you, too.  Very much so.  But I'm worried, my sweet..."

    "About what?" she asked.  Her head was spinning and she felt off-balance.

    "About what I've done to make you not trust me?  I've given you so, so much, and asked for so very little..."

    Porrim was somewhat taken aback.  "Not trust you?  But I do!  Didn't I put my arm in the restraint for you that night?  I trust you completely!"

    Mindfang sighed.  "Really?  So why wouldn't you complete the other part of the deal, then?"

    "What... what do you mean?" she stammered.  "You said there were two things and I did them!  I put my arm in willingly and then I... er... wait... you never told me what the other thing was!"

    "I thought you would have figured it out for yourself.  You have, haven't you?"

    Porrim swallowed hard.  "I think so... but I just don't understand what the big deal is?  That's something I need to keep to myself.  I want to look after someone I care very deeply for; doesn't that make sense to you?"

    "To a point, love.  But you need to realize something: you're never going to see her again!  There's nothing you can do to help her!  But you've got someone standing here in front of you who wants nothing more than to show you all of the wonders of the world you've missed out on over these hard years.  Which is more real?  More important?  It hurts my heart to think that you would hold a memory more precious than my affections..."  Mindfang dropped her eyes and turned away from her before walking to the couch.

    Porrim's innards twisted uncomfortably and she felt like she'd been pierced through the chest.  "But why can't I have both?  You said I would be able to use this room, and read books and spend time with you, but why I am I still locked away in here?"

    "The deal was," said Spinneret as she reclined on the soft blue seat, "two-for-two.  You took a huge step forward by putting your arm into that restraint and letting me love you, and I applaud you for that.  I was so proud of you; you have no idea!  In exchange, I did what I said I would and showed you the meaning of true red pleasure.  The other part, however, I was hoping you'd give to me of your own volition that night... in exchange for her name, all of this could have been yours!  And it still can!  I gave you a taste of it so you'd know what it was like; wasn't it wonderful?"  Porrim nodded.  "So, then, why couldn't you share one simple thing with me?  You need to ask yourself what's important, and when you figure it out, then you and I might finally be able to move forward at last."

    "Move forward to what?" she asked, "Are you suggesting something red?"  Her heart was fluttering in her chest, but the voice spoke then, _how could you possibly share a red romance with someone who baits you like this?  What is going on here?_  

    "My sweet, there's something inside of you that I've not seen in anyone else:  a sweet naiveté on the surface but a genuine visionary soul beneath.  I've been waiting for so long to feel this way about someone, and yet, when it comes down to it, I have to hold back because you choose to hold back.  Can you understand where I'm coming from on this?  I need to know where you stand before I can fully embrace you..."

    The conflict inside Porrim was starting to reach a breaking point.  "Why does this matter?  If you feel so strongly for me, why are you taking things away from me?"

    Mindfang raised an eyebrow and stood up.  "Well, think about it.  Why would I give such wonderful things to someone I can't fully trust?  If giving you love and luxury isn't enough to earn your trust, then I suppose we're going to have to find out what it is you can't live without."  As she started for the exit, she looked at Porrim, who was pressed tightly up against the bars, and said, "For both your sake and mine, I can only hope the answer is 'me'...  I do miss you so."    

    As the door clicked shut behind her, Porrim fell back onto the bed and punched the mattress as hard as she could before the heaving sobs overtook her.  

 

    As the door clicked shut behind her, Mindfang fell back against the opposite wall.   _This is a lot harder than I thought it would be..._ she thought as she removed her gloves, _but not just where getting that name is concerned.  I've gleaned every piece of information I've ever needed from every single one of my subjects... but why is it so much more difficult to do without mental manipulation?  Why isn't this as exciting as it should be?_  She closed her eyes.   _That's not what's bugging you, is it?  It's hard because you care about this one._  
   
    She made her way down the hall towards her own sanctum.   _I can't let that get in the way.  If she decides that she wants to give me that name, then we can finally find out if she's meant to be the red lover I've always dreamed of.  But time is running short... I wish she understood the stakes.  For her own good, I may have to break her... but at what cost?_   Mindfang quietly hoped it would not be a price her riches couldn't cover.  

 

    Porrim hardly moved from her bed for the rest of the night (at least, as far as she knew, it was still night).  The confusion was almost crippling; _she says she's flushing red for me, and yet, here I am locked up again._  She looked down at the golden earring in her hand.  Part of her wanted to hurl it through the bars and be rid of it, but at the same time, she knew she would have had to tear off her own hand to do so.   _I wonder if she understands what loyalty to one's friends means?  A friend wouldn't lock another friend up in a jail and take away her view of the outside world,_ said one voice, while the reply was _I'm betraying another friend by not telling her... a friend who can love me in a way the one who escaped never could.  This is another kind of love, far deeper than the bonds of friendship we're talking about here, beyond moirails.  How can I not give her what she's after?  How can I risk her love like this?_

    The internal battle went on for hours, back and forth like that, until she couldn't stand it any further.  She noticed her tray of food sat waiting for her; she had no idea how long it had been sitting there.  She opened the lid and while it was the same bland grubloaf, in one corner of the plate was a small dab of the tuber sauce she enjoyed so much on the "outside", made into the shape of a heart.  She wanted to throw it across the room, she wanted to lick the plate, she wanted to write "Spinneret" with the paste, but she just set it back on the floor and cried in frustration.  When her tears were spent, she disrobed and slid into her recupracoon and begged for silence.  

 

    When she finally emerged the next evening, Porrim sat down on the load gaper and started the cold water running in her ablution trap.   _No towels in the drawer... wonderful, she thought, what's next to go?  The gaper paper?  No... I don't think Spinneret would like it much if I had to use the 'drip-dry' method._  
   
    'What next' turned out to be the absence of her black and green gown.  She was initially furious but relaxed when she noticed it was sitting on one of the blue chairs just outside her bars.  On the bed were the simple beige garments that she was forced to put on when she was being processed at the prisoner depot at the loading docks.   _A gentle reminder of where you came from?_ was the first thought that entered her mind as she donned them, followed by _It doesn't really matter; I'll wear anything she asks me to.  I just want to hold her again so badly..._

    Once she was dressed, Porrim started walking her circuit again, but something in her head kept her from looking under her pillow for her precious bauble.  Every time she passed by, she wanted to grab it, but was deeply afraid it was going to be missing, too.  On the sixth pass, she couldn't take it anymore; she slid a hand under the silvery pillow and for a moment, her heart sank as her fingers failed to find the small metal ringlet, but a few seconds later, she felt them bump up against it and she retrieved it as quickly as she could.  Thank goodness you're still here with me, she thought as she kissed the earring and then carried on walking.  She ran her fingers over it again and again, feeling the pits and bumps of the ornate design, the smooth tops of the gemstones embedded in it.  She opened her hand to look at it: the biggest stone in it was a piece of garnet, easily the largest and clearest she'd ever seen.  It's not quite Spinneret's colour, but considering it's hidden by her hair most of the time, it wouldn't look too out of place, said her voice of fashion sense.   _Where do you think she stole it from?_ asked the voice that she was getting weary of hearing, _You do realize you're pining for a thief?  A common criminal?  If she has no compunction from stealing for a living, what makes you believe she actually cares if she breaks your heart?  Who's to say that she'd even let you out of here ever again if you told her Disciple's name?_

    "Where do we go from here?" she asked herself out loud.  

 

    Her meal arrived and Porrim couldn't bear to open the lid, not because there might be another heart made of tuber paste on the plate, but because there might not be.  She left it where she found it and continued her rounds.  She looked longingly out towards the bookshelves, hoping she could make out some of the titles.  Alas, they were too far away for her to read them clearly, so she simply carried on and wondered what kind of literature Spinneret enjoyed.  She imagined it would be high seas adventure, even though she believed that she actually lived that kind of life.   _Maybe it's the Condesence Criminal Codebook, and she reads it to try to figure out how to get away with breaking it?  Maybe she's trying to break all of the rules?_ said the voice, and she tried her best to cram it back down from whence it came.      
     
    Eventually, she grew tired and decided to retire; Porrim peeled off the grubby shirt and shorts, slid the earring back under the pillow, and hoped a few hours in the sopor slime would give her some of the perspective she was so sorely lacking.

 

    Another "evening" came and as Porrim regained consciousness, she wondered what would be missing this time.  She only had to open her eyes to find out: she was in complete darkness.   _Am I blind?_ she wondered with horror, but she was able to detect a small sliver of light under the door that lead out of the room, which allayed that fear.

      In the dark Porrim stumbled from the recupracoon and went about her daily business as she always did.   _I could do this in my sleep,_ she thought, and found that the lack of light really didn't slow her down... until it came time to walk towards the bed.  As she made her way across the room, she ran right into the foot of the bed and stumbled forward onto it.   _That didn't go so well, did it, Porrim?  Well, while I'm here..._  She slipped her hand under the pillow and located the earring.  She sighed with relief and slid off the side to continue her walkabout.

    She only made it around to the other side of the bed when she kicked something hard and she went crashing to the ground.  She sat up and tried to figure out what happened.  Her toes were sore from kicking the object but there was also something squishy between them.  She realized at once that this was her meal from yesterday that was never retrieved.   _I guess droids don't like to work in the dark,_ she thought bitterly.  Her next thought tore through her like an icy gust of wind: _I dropped the earring!  No!  Where the hell did it go?_  She rolled over on to her knees and started to grope around blindly for it.  

    _PleasePleasePleasePleasePlease,_ she pleaded as she swept her hands in circles in search of her one remaining link to Spinneret.  She kept banging into the bed in the process but all she did was make a smeary mess of the old grubloaf; the earring eluded her in the pitch blackness.  After trying for an indeterminate amount of time, she gave up and crawled back up onto the bed, sobbing.  "I'm so sorry... so sorry... if only I had just a little light, I could find it..."

    Suddenly, a single light illuminated the room, just over the large blue couch.  At first it hurt Porrim's eyes, but she was able to focus after a few moments.  She leaned over the edge of the bed and started searching for the earring; she caught a glimpse of a golden glint and dove to the floor to grab it.  

    Once she turned her attention to the solitary light again, she couldn't believe her eyes:  Spinneret was reclining on the couch, watching her.  Porrim wanted to call out to her, but didn't at first; she wanted to watch what the other was up to.  

    As if to answer that, Mindfang rose, then removed her hat and tossed it onto the chair that held Porrim's dress, which was just outside of range of the spotlight overhead.  When she was standing, all Porrim could really make out of her form was her silhouette; she was rocking slowly back and forth to a low drum sound issuing from the speakers on the left wall.  She hadn't heard music in a very long time, and the sound was almost as seductive as the movements of the tall woman swaying in time with to the rhythm they made.  
   
    Mindfang opened her long black jacket, and as she sat back down onto the couch, Porrim realized that she was wearing the coat, her scarlet boots... and nothing else.  There were towels down on the couch and as she removed the jacket, she sat down on them and let her right leg hang off the side, as she had done only a few days ago.  Without saying a single word, Spinneret slipped two of her fingers into her mouth, removed them slowly, and slid them down to the space between her thighs while her right hand began caressing her exposed breast.  A quiet gasp escaped her lips as she began to massage herself slowly at first, and then as she closed her eyes, a little bit quicker.  

    Porrim, despite the hunger gnawing at her stomach from her having missed a couple of meals, found a more fundamental hunger had awoken and she completely ignored the other one.  She couldn't take her eyes off of Spinneret if she wanted to; she was sitting under the only source of light in the entire room, and she was showing off her most desirable parts.  Without even realizing she was doing it, Porrim had slipped a hand down the front of her beige shorts and was softly stroking her own soft lips and insistent nub; she could feel a sticky wetness starting to cover her fingers.  She looked up to watch Mindfang pleasuring herself and was captivated; she had never bothered to really explore it herself, nor had she ever watched anyone else do it, save for maybe one of the other girls that served the Mother Grub in the barracks during the day who would occasionally do this in their sleep.  This, however, was a much more blatant display and it was intended for an audience of one.

    Spinneret had begun to breathe more deeply and quickly; her hand flew over the source of her pleasure, stopping only to return to her mouth for more lubrication.  Her right hand squeezed and flicked her breast; she pinched her nipple, sometimes harder than Porrim would have expected.  She began to arch her back and still her hand flew over her little blue button; it was so engorged Porrim could see it from where she was and her fingers found her own and she imagined hers would be a bright green if there was enough light to see it.   More than anything in the world, she wished Spinneret's lips were on it, sucking and pulling, and the thought made her ache deep inside.  

    She was distracted suddenly from her reverie by Spinneret suddenly calling out, "Porrrrrrrrim... ohhhh...  please... I want you so bad... please tell me you want me..."  She was so shocked she didn't know if she was supposed to answer or not, or whether she should for that matter.  "Oh... ohh... ohhhhhh.... Porrim, please... tell me you want to be here with me..."

    Porrim couldn't stop herself.  "Yes!  Gods, yes, I do!  I want to be the one doing that to you!"  She had slid the shorts down to her knees by this point as there wasn't enough room in there for what she wanted to do; she was drawing moisture from her lower lips to keep her nub wet.  

    "Please tell me... please tell me... pleeeeeeeease..."   This last word dissolved into a scream as Spinneret hit her peak and released her blue wave across the towels.  Seeing it happen excited Porrim and she continued her own ministrations in hopes of finding her climax but she was interrupted by Mindfang calling out between haggard breaths, "Please tell me her name... I need you so badly... just tell me who she is and I'll throw that door open and lick you senseless!  Just tell me already!"

    Porrim found herself distracted by Spinneret's words.   _Is that all she wants from you?  Was that the whole purpose of these erotic theatrics?  Nothing more than another ploy to get you to cough up information?_  She slowed her hands down as she started to think about it.   _No, not entirely, I'm sure... I want to believe her so badly.  That tongue... oh, that tongue..._ But the seed of the thought had already been planted and she slowed to a stop, even though the lack of release stung her and the desire continued to tear at her soul.  "I can't!" she shouted.  "I just can't!"

    Mindfang sat up on the couch and used the towels to wipe her wet lips.  She was glaring in the direction of the bars and Porrim knew full well she sensed where she was and what she was doing until a few moments ago.  "Can't or won't?" she called back, "You really need to learn what that difference is, sweetheart.  I wish you knew what the stakes here are!  Our entire relationship hinges on this!"

    "We have a relationship?  Is that what you call this? Taking everything from me and leaving me to stumble around in the dark?  If you love me, why are you doing this to me?"

    "I should ask you the same thing!" she retorted.  "One simple set of words and we're in each other's arms again.  It's killing me to be without you!  Why can't you just say them?"

    Porrim's emotions were starting to spill through the cracks.  "Do you even know what the word 'honour' means?  It's a matter of honour that I'm trying to protect someone who was close to me!"

    "Was!  The key word here is 'was', love!  I 'AM!'" shouted Mindfang.  "I am your here and now!  And it's my damn sense of honour that's put our red in jeopardy in the first place!"

    She was confused by this.  "I don't know what you mean!"  Tears streamed down her face; she had pulled her pants back up and sat with her legs up to her chest.  
   
    Spinneret swallowed hard; her entire gambit rested on how she responded to this and how she was to go about it.  "What that means, dear heart, is if you can't give me your trust, and more importantly, your love, someone else will... whether I want him to or not!  You think about THAT for awhile and maybe it'll sink in what we're up against here.  That's why I'm doing this!" she growled, grabbing her coat and striding past the bars to the hallway door.  She paused right before she opened it and shouted, "I'm doing this because I've fallen in love with you!  Keep that in mind and make the right decision.  Your time... our time... is almost up, damn your stubbornness!"  And with that, she stormed out.

    Porrim was left to cradle herself on her bed.  The voices in her head were borderline incoherent now and she was silently begging for an end to it all.  She wanted Spinneret with every fibre of her being, but threatening to love another instead if she didn't get what she wanted?  This was madness and she started to question which of the two of them was more unstable.  Her heart, her body, her soul were Spinneret's for the taking; she could hear her voice saying "You belong to me now" echoing through her mind and started to think she may very well have been right.  She grabbed the earring and clutched on to it so tight, the point of it bit into her hand and a small trickle of jade green ran over her palm but she didn't even notice.  She couldn't even find the strength to drag herself into her recupracoon; she eventually passed out on her bed from exhaustion, but the earring never left her grasp for a moment.

 

    Mindfang slumped to the floor in the hallway.  She winced as her still-quite-sensitive genitals hit the cold floor and she cursed everything in existence.  This was her best idea; she'd been working towards it all week and for naught.  Now, time was running short and she had wagered Porrim's love versus Dualscar's deadline.  She thought about what she said to Porrim on the way out the door, when suddenly an idea sprung to life.  This was a gamble and half, but considering what was at stake, she really had no choice but to bet it all down.   _Porrim is in a fragile state,_ she thought, _and if what just happened in there didn't force her hand, then I think I know what will.  And if it backfires... well, I'm in BIG trouble._

    She stood up and made her way to her own room.   _Tomorrow,_ she told herself.   _It has to be tomorrow.  I have no choice now.  He might be busy doing something: pestering the Condesce or shooting at slaves, but I'm pretty sure he'll drop what he's doing for little ol' me..._


	7. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindfang's final desperate gambit to convince Porrim to give her the information she needs to win her wager with Dualscar takes place and the results are... aw, hell, just read the chapter. You're going to want to see how this plays out for yourself!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooo... If you've been waiting for the shit to hit the whirling bladed device, here's where it hits. All of it.
> 
> This is the first chapter where all three of the principal characters share the stage, and as you can imagine, sparks fly.
> 
> Also, as a special treat, once you're done reading this, pop over to my friend Lindsay's dA [link](nancystagerat.deviantart.com) and see some great fan art for this chapter! [Caligulove Me](http://nancystagerat.deviantart.com/art/Homestuck-Caligulove-Me-318245784)
> 
> Thanks again to my editor, Michaela (Mercale here on Ao3) who not only helped to make this story shine, but just wrote a PREQUEL for this very tale! Check out "Glimmer of Jade" here: [Glimmer of Jade](http://archiveofourown.org/works/639801)  
> Don't worry, there's no spoilers; just a wicked intro to the story! Consider it Beautiful Jewel: Chapter 0! It's like you're getting two chapters this week for the price of one!

 

 

 

 

  
** 7. **

    Dualscar had, in fact, just finished both of those activities when the evening began.   By the time midnight rolled around, he was briefing his captains on their latest plans to invade one of the nearby systems when his datapad started vibrating.   He looked down at it quickly, saw that the contact was unknown, and returned it to his chest pocket without so much as missing a beat.  When it vibrated a second time, he made a point of hitting the "Ignore" key and continued on.

    "We expect minimal resistance at Klo," he said, pointing to the 3D map in the center of the table.  "There may be other systems that would come to their aid, but by the time they did, we should expect to control eighty percent of the planet's surface with virtually nil casualties.  I believe there is little in the way of underwater armament but if there is, we will crush it so completely that they will never forget the name..."

    "Croooooooonus..."

    The room echoed with muffled chuckles as Admiral Ampora gathered his face up into a tight snarl.  "I swear, if any of you fools so much as says one glubbin' word, I'll put a hole in your midsection big enough to stick your arm through!  Now standby..."

    He stormed out of the room into a side office and pulled out the pad.  "How... the hell... did you do that, hmm?"  

    Mindfang gave him a coy smile.  "A lady has to have some secrets.  Anyway, this is important."

    "I'm briefing our fleet on an attack strategy," he spat, "I rather doubt what you have to say is more important than that."  He watched as she took her pad, moved it away from her face to show him a view of her open shirt.  She let it linger over her bare chest for a few moments and then returned it to whence it came.  

    "Do I have your undivided attention now, Cronus?"

    He allowed himself a smirk.  "Perhaps.  I suspect I'm going to be seeing a lot more of those in the near future, hm?"

    She returned the gesture.  "Perhaps.  Maybe even sooner than you think..."

    Dualscar was intrigued.  "Do tell.  How goes your pet project?"

    "That's kind of what I was calling about.  I haven't gotten what we're after yet."

    His smirk became an outright leer.  "You don't say.  Has the Marquise finally found a nut too tough to crack?"

    "Such a thing does not exist.  What I'm calling about, though, is that if you can come by my hive as soon as possible, I will either be able to get that piece of information that we both so desire, or you'll get a taste of what's to come..."

    "The 'what's to come'," he said smugly, "better be me.  I'll be there in one hour."

    "I can't wait," she said as enthusiastically as she could.  

    He ended the call, put the pad back in his pocket and returned to the meeting.  One of the captains piped up, "Everything okay at home, Croooooooonus?  You didn't leave the gaper seat up again, did you?"

    He drew Ahab's Crosshairs from his shoulder and the one who opened his mouth was starting to wish he hadn't.  A long pause and the captain was sweating profusely.  Ampora gave him a dirty look and pulled the harpoon back up.  "Do all you indigobloods sweat like that?  Seriously, it's fucking revolting.  Anyway, the only reason I didn't vaporize your thinkpan there is because I get to go out and get my flipper wet,  so... you lot have your orders, and I expect them to be carried out to the letter.  Now, fuck off while your legs will still carry you!"

    Once the staff had cleared out of the room, Dualscar tugged down on his uniform and regarded his reflection in an office window.   _At long last,_ he thought, _tonight you are gonna get all of me, Spinneret... and every night after this one, too..._

 

 

    Mindfang emerged from her room when she heard the door to her parlour below bang open .  "All right, where are you?" he bellowed.  "The things I'm gonna do to you..."

    "Upstairs, of course, Cronus," she called back.  She adjusted her open blouse and made her way towards the door at the far end of the hall.  "Where else would I be?  Now get up here!"  

    A few moments later, he was at the top of the stairs and took in the sight of her with her back against the farthest wall.  She had her arms crossed in front of her, covering her chest as her white ruffled shirt was completely undone.  Her tight black leggings disappeared into her tall red boots and she gave him an inviting smile.  "About time," she said impatiently.  

    He gave her a toothy grin.  "You said it, lady."  He looked to his left at her bedroom door, then back at her.  "Not in here this time?"

    "Nope.  I have a better idea. C'mere..."  She beckoned for him to join her by tossing her mane of black hair.

    "Who the hell am I to say no?" he said and made his way down the hall.

    She could see the fire in his bright violet eyes and for a split second, she began to worry that she'd made a grave error.  He pushed her arms out of the way and kissed her hard as he pressed her up against the wall.  As his mouth made its way down her neck, she found she was telling herself _it's only hate, it's only hate, it's only hate..._  
although she knew full well that there was much more than black desires behind his kissing.  

    Dualscar pulled back for a second and took in her exposed breasts, then looked back to her face.  "So what's your plan?  Just let loose on each other right here?  That floor could be kinda hard on the knees, hmm?"

    "No, not here," she said, and opened the door to the other room on that floor...

 

 

    Porrim lay on the bed in the near darkness; what little sleep she had was fitful and riddled with horrible dreams.  Her empty stomach churned but she was glad that there was no food in it because it likely would have come up again anyway.  She shivered and her head pounded; the only respite she had came when the voices in her head finally left her alone.  It was as though they'd all said their piece and there was nothing left to say.  In the end, it was her decision as to what happened next, so there was no point in arguing with herself any further.  

    _I just hate being so alone... I can't stand this..._ Her face was caked in her tears, while the hand that clutched on to the earring was covered in streaks of dried green blood.  The only light was the one that was centered over the blue couch; Mindfang had left it on when she last left the room.  Porrim's jade eyes stared out towards that couch and her mind replayed the scenes that took place upon it; both the sweet love they shared on it and in front of it, and Spinneret's self-pleasure that both aroused her and caused her to question the Marquise's motives.  

    _Where did this go so wrong?  Where did I go wrong?_  She curled herself into an even tighter ball.   _There's only one answer to that question, but am I hanging onto her name for honour or pride's sake?  I've heard that if you have no honour, then you have nothing, but I've also heard that love conquers all... what is the answer?_  

    No answer came to her from either the darkness or her own mind.  She had no idea how many hours had passed and worse, no idea how many more were to come.  This night could go on forever... and the thought of that sent her into spasms that would have led to another crying spell, if she had any tears left to cry, that was.  

    She was startled by a loud thud as the door to the hallway flew open.  She was at the bars in a heartbeat, but couldn't believe what she was seeing when she got there: two figures almost fell into the room.  One of them she was certain was Spinneret, but the other, who appeared to have his face buried into her neck, was a very tall man.  
   
    Mindfang called out, "Computer!  All lights, minus west, at forty percent!"  The lighting in every part of the room, with the exception of the lamps in Porrim's cell area, rose to a nominal setting.  The tall man moved with her over to the couch and as she fell back onto it, he removed his cape and pulled off his uniform tunic.  Even in the pale light, she could see that it was a bright violet colour and she realized that he must be a very highly ranked officer in the Condesce's military.  She saw the fins on the sides of his face, and his horns were among the largest she'd beheld,  certainly the biggest she'd ever seen in person.  As he turned to look at her, she could see two jagged violet scars across his visage but the look of disdain that crossed his face when he saw her made his rather handsome features seem ugly and harsh.

    "What the hell..." he remarked, turning back to Mindfang, "you didn't tell me we were gonna have an audience tonight!"

    Mindfang took her shirt all the way off and threw it over to the chair where her hat and Porrim's gown rested.  "You got a problem with that?  Having her here isn't gonna leave you hanging at half-mast now, is it?"  

    "Not a glubbin' chance..." he snarled.  He shot Porrim another disdainful glance.  "Yeesh...  she looks like absolute shit.  Did you leave her in the same damn outfit you got her in?  Looks like the same one as I saw her in last time."

    Porrim didn't understand what he was talking about; she was quite positive she would remember seeing someone as striking as him, and she had absolutely no recollection of ever having laid eyes on him before, even in her fatigued state.  

    "Never mind that," admonished Mindfang, "are you going to hatesnog me or what?"

    "Hatesnog you?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face like oil across water, "Oh, no... I'm gonna give you a preview of all the red you're getting from here on in!"

    As he fell upon her, Porrim felt like she'd just been punched in the stomach.  She slowly slipped to the floor and dropped onto her backside, open-mouthed and horrified.   _This?  This is who she was talking about?  Oh no... nonononononoNO!  You can't!  This isn't right at all!_   She watched as he dragged his sharp teeth across her neck,  and while Spinneret shuddered from it, Porrim could tell from her body language that Spinneret wasn't entirely enjoying it.   _I know what it looks like when it's pleasure she's feeling and that's not it... What is this all about?_

    She tried to remember everything Spinneret said about this 'someone else'. _'For both our sakes,' she said... 'whether I want him to or not... our time is almost up...'_  Her hands flew to her mouth.  She wasn't trying to threaten me, she meant it!   _There's something else going on here... is she supposed to be betrothed to him or something?_  She watched their carousing on the couch and was enveloped in a whole new set of emotions: anger at not knowing all of what was going on, fear for her Spinneret's safety, and one that in all of her years she had never experienced: jealousy as green as her own blood.   _She's mine... get your filthy fishy hands off of her!_ shouted a voice she'd never heard before.

    Porrim rose to her knees and looked on at the scene unfolding in front of her.  She was in absolute agony seeing her lover in the arms of another... and then it was taken to an even higher level when Spinneret looked straight at her, and the look wasn't one of "Look at me! I have someone else to fill my red needs!" but one of "Help me!  This isn't what I want!"  She suddenly heard another voice inside that she hadn't heard prior to now... but this one wasn't her own.

    _Porrim, please!  I know you can hear me!  I need you to put an end to this!  For both of us to be together, you have to tell me that name!  Everything depends on you!  I know how hard it will be and how much it will kill you inside to do it, but I will make sure it turns out all right, I swear!  Please!  For you and I!  PLEASE HURRY!!!!!!!!_

    She could see his hand working Spinneret's tights down and fresh green rage ripped across her heart, but it was followed by a cold sinking sensation as she thought of Disciple and what awful things would happen to her if they caught her again.  The magnitude of these emotions paralyzed her and in her fragile mindset, she wasn't sure if she could handle them, much less make a proper choice.  She buried her face in her hands and wailed.  
   
    "Sounds like Little Miss Greenblood over there is enjoying the show!" Dualscar remarked as he started kissing Mindfang's horns.  Mindfang exhaled softly as he did so but her mind was elsewhere.

    _I can't make you do it!  I won't make you do it!  You have to do it yourself!  I'm sorry about all that I've done to you, but it was for a reason: to prevent this!  I love you, Porrim, but if there's any chance for us to be together, it has to be now!  I'll do everything I can to protect her, I swear it, but it has to be you!  Now!  Please!  YOU MUST HURRY!!!!!!!!_

    Porrim shook as she was wracked by the awful decision placed in her lap.  She looked up to see the tall man's hands cupping Spinneret's breasts and his mouth on her ears; her blue eyes were open and looking directly at her.  She started to sob again and she let her head fall forwards against the bars.   _I can't take this anymore... I can't take this... I'm so sorry... I'm so, so sorry... I have to... I have to save her... I have to save US... you of all people would understand..._

 

    _**"MEULIN LEIJON!"**_

 

    Dualscar found himself on the floor; he wasn't sure if it was because he was so startled by the sudden outburst from the cell, or if it was because Mindfang shoved him off.  "What the hell was that?"  

    Mindfang was on her feet.  "What was that?  I need to hear it again!  Say it again, dear!"

    Porrim was crying so hard she could barely make a sound other than the involuntary inhales that accompanied her sobbing.  "M...m...  Meul... Meulin.  Le... Le... L... Leijon. Oh gog... I'm s... s... so sorry..."

    Mindfang ran over to the chair, grabbed the key from her blouse pocket and then dashed over to the cell.  She flung open the unlocked door and threw herself around Porrim.  "Shhhh... shhh... you did it.  You're so brave.  It's okay... I'm here now.  You did it."  She rubbed her back and squeezed her as tightly as she could in an effort to comfort her.

    At this point  Dualscar got up from the floor and was dumbfounded by what he saw.   "Okay, I say again in hopes of actually getting a bloody answer this time:  what the hell was that?"

    Spinneret shot him a look that was somewhere between incredulous and satisfied.  "That, Cronus, was the name you wanted.  You should write it down somewhere."  Porrim shook her head at the sound of that and Mindfang patted her shoulder reassuringly.  "It's over.  You got what you wanted, and I get what I want.  I'll give you all the blackrom you want, but the red has to stop."

    He looked at her, then down at the bulge in his pants, then back to her.  "Um... we were kinda having a moment there, weren't we?  Dontcha think we should finish what we started, hmmm?"

    She gave him a pained expression.  "Really?  I don't think this would be a very good time.  I'm sorry, but that was getting way too flushed for me."

    "Hey, you're the one who brought me... here..."  Dualscar stopped and took a moment to process what had happened.  He looked at Mindfang, who was tending to the weeping woman in simple rags and it suddenly all came together.  "You...  You used me to get what you needed from her to get me out of your red quadrant?  I gotta admit that's pretty impressive even by your standards."

    "Bravo, sir.  Well deduced.  Would you like a medal for that or does the Imperial Navy not award medals for stating the obvious?"

    "Hey!  Watch your tone with me!  Black or not, you still need to..."  He stopped short as he watched the greenblooded girl look up at Mindfang and kiss her on the lips, which was returned hungrily.  "Holy glubbin' shit..." he said as his second major revelation of the day struck him, "that kiss looked pretty legit..."

    Mindfang shot him a withering glare.  "I don't know what you mean."

    "The hell you don't!  But what I can't get my pan around is that this... thing here is the reason why you couldn't go red for me!"

    The glare became a scowl.  "SHE... is not a thing!"

    "She's chattel!  You might as well go make out with your kitchen table!"

    "You're about to go face first into my kitchen table if you don't drop this, Cronus..." she warned.

    He bared his pointed teeth and started over towards the cell.  "I think it's high time you got a reminder about the nature of things, Marquise."  Once he stood over the two, he grabbed Porrim by the arm, pulling her away from Mindfang, made a claw of his hand and swung it at her back.  It tore through her flimsy shirt and scratched her very deeply; she screeched and as he dropped her to the floor, he smeared the skin and blood he collected under his nails on the wall, making a jade coloured stain across it.

    Mindfang was up in his face in a heartbeat.  "WHAT THE BLUE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT FOR????????" she screamed.

    He pointed at the mess on the wall.  "Do you see what colour that is?  Here's a hint: it's below yours, and WAY below mine!  You are better than this traitorous piece of garbage blubbering away here!  Why do you sully yourself with this scum?  I could have been so much better for you! I could have made your life up to this point seem like a waste of time, but you choose to wallow in the gutter with lowblood filth?  I just can't understand it!"

    "And the sad part is you never will!" she spat.  "Maybe I've had enough of violetbloods  to last me a fucking lifetime.  Now get out!  This is starting to get beyond black and I don't care for it.  You will NOT lay another hand on her ever again!"

    He started over to pick up his tunic and cape, and then watched as Mindfang assessed Porrim's wounds.  As he pulled on the shirt, he shook his head and remarked, "Amazing.  If I didn't know you better, I'd have thought you were actually in love with that thing!"

    Mindfang balled her hands and was actually shaking.  She looked him in the eyes and said, "I swear to whatever you hold holy, Cronus, if you call her a thing ONE MORE FUCKING TIME, I WILL PERFORATE YOU!  DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME????????"  

    "Hey now, calm your rumble spheres..."  He gave her smirk; she suddenly remembered she was topless and for the first time in a long time, she felt self-conscious about it.  "If you wanna play 'Hive' with your kitchen table, be my guest.  When you figure out that having a kitchen table for a bedmate isn't as much fun as you thought it would be, give me a call."  

    As he turned to leave, even through her anger, Mindfang could see the painful disappointment in his face and for a moment, her ire faded.  But as the door closed behind him and she returned to Porrim's side to see the jade blood seeping from her slashed back, it chilled her and she knew she had done the right thing.  "Computer, all lights to maximum!" she called out and the lighting in Porrim's cell area flashed to life.  She took a moment to assess the damage he inflicted; the lacerations were deep and long.   _She'll wear these scars the rest of her life,_ she thought, and the ones on her own back suddenly ached in sympathy.  She helped Porrim to her feet and escorted her over to the ablution trap and turned on the tap.   _Oh, right, the water's cold..._  

    "Computer, end and delete program 6-1-2!"   With those words, the water pouring from the tap became much warmer, and the panel covering the window in this part of the room flew open; the first rays of daytime twilight were just starting to trickle in.  Spinneret let Porrim lean up against her and slowly tore her simple beige shirt off so as not to irritate the skin that had been so violently attacked.  

    "Can you help me with the shorts, dear?"  Porrim said nothing but started to slide them down and Mindfang took them the rest of the way and helped her balance as she stepped out of them and into the trap.  Once she was there and sitting down, Spinneret took the sponge and slowly squeezed clean, warm water over the still-seeping gouges.   Porrim winced and shook as each fresh cascade ran over them, but she remained silent.  Once Mindfang was sure Porrim was stable, she said, "Wait here," and headed towards the room with the other load gaper's private block.  She returned moments later with a container of salve and started gently applying it to her wounds.  Still Porrim said nothing.

    "Are you ready to come out, dear?" Spinneret asked.  Porrim nodded and Mindfang helped her step out and then led her over to the bed.  The droids were already in the process of cleaning up the smeared mess of her abandoned meals and changing her pillowcases.   One walked past the pair, hung up the mirror and replaced the scissors  on the edge of the trap.  Another returned with Porrim's soft green robe, freshly laundered; Mindfang gently draped it over the shivering woman so as to disturb the coat of salve on her back as little as possible.  Once the droids were out of the way, she rose from the bed and headed for the thermal hull.  Shortly after, she came back with a plate covered in grubloaf and tuber paste and offered it to Porrim.

    Porrim regarded it carefully.  In the corner of the plate was a large scoop of red tuber paste, sculpted into the shape of a heart.  Her hands shook as she looked at it and she turned to face Spinneret with a haunted look in her eyes.  

    Mindfang wasn't sure what she should say; the silence from the other was frightening.  She looked from Porrim to the plate and back again.  She sighed and said, "The first question is yours tonight, dear heart.  Anything you want."  

    Porrim's lip trembled as she spoke.  "Did... did you really mean it?"

    "Mean what, my sweet?"

    She was shaking hard now.  "Do you... really love me?"

    Spinneret relaxed somewhat; she was expecting a much more difficult-to-answer question.  She took Porrim's hand into her own, raised it to her lips and lightly kissed it.  "Yes, I do.  I meant it.  It's you I want... since the day I laid eyes on you, I've wanted you.  I'm so sorry we had to go through that, but it was something that had to happen.  At least it's over and done and now we can finally move on!"  

    Porrim listened carefully, and then squeezed Spinneret's hand.  "Okay... yes.  It's just that... your way of showing love is a little hard for me to get my head around!"

    Mindfang chewed her lip.  "Maybe I could use a little work on that, I grant you, but I assure you it won't ever be quite like that ever again!  It's just you and me now; no one else stands in our way.   I promise you that your sacrifice, and it certainly was one, will not be in vain!"

    Porrim hung her head as she thought about what had transpired a short time ago and there was a cold, empty feeling inside of her that she thought she'd never entirely rid herself of, but hoped against hope that maybe the red love from the one she'd just rescued from a life she couldn't bear would one day come to fill it.  

    "Are you ready for a question now, love?"  Porrim gathered her thoughts and tried to figure out what Spinneret would ask her, then nodded.  "Excellent.  How's the grubloaf?"

    Porrim blinked a few times, then looked down at the plate again.  She gave Mindfang a peculiar look, then picked up a slice and put it in her mouth.  After chewing it a few times, she swallowed, gave her a wan smile and replied, "Needs paste..."

    "Oh.  Well, luckily, we happen to have some!"  Spinneret dipped her finger in the heart-shaped pool and placed it on Porrim's lips.  After a moment, Porrim let the finger slide into her mouth.  She let it linger there for a few seconds, and then lightly sucked on it before letting it slip back out.  

    "Was that really your question?" Porrim asked.  

    "Yes!  Was that really yours?"  Mindfang returned.

    Porrim couldn't stop herself from smiling.  "I just thought you might ask something else, that's all."

    "What were you expecting me to ask you?"

    "If... I loved you, too..."

    Spinneret found her stomach had suddenly fallen to her feet. _Now I find out the price I've paid, I suppose... Am I actually afraid to hear the answer?_  

    Porrim set the plate down on the floor, pushed the robe off of her back and moved away from her down towards the head of the bed.  Mindfang watched her with wide eyes, uncertain what was going to happen next.  

    With very slow, deliberate movements, Porrim reached down, picked up one of the arm restraints, placed her arm inside of it and then closed it.  The gentle click echoed in the silence.  Mindfang's mouth fell open in surprise as Porrim said, "I told you once already.  I'm all yours."  

    Mindfang gave her an uncertain look.  "Are you sure you want to do this?  You've hardly eaten..."

    Porrim nodded.  "There's no grubloaf I know of that can satisfy my hunger right now.  Just please take it easy on my back this time is all I ask."  

    After a few moments of taking it all in, Spinneret slipped her scarlet boots off and then walked over to the far side of the bed to secure Porrim's right arm.   She then leaned over the bed to look at Porrim's face, which despite the fierce burning in her back, was filled with undiluted joy.  She ran a hand down one of Porrim's horns, then down her cheek before whispering "Thank you..." and pressing her lips onto hers.  

    "For what?" Porrim asked, once she had a moment to breathe.

    Mindfang smiled.  "Trusting me. "

    A pause.  "Did I really have a choice?"

    "Of course you did!  What would make you suggest otherwise?" asked Spinneret.  She did her best to hide the hint of nervousness in her voice.  

    "Well..." Porrim began, "right when you and... that fellow were doing your thing there, I thought I heard a voice in my head that sounded an awful lot like yours."

    Mindfang closed her eyes for a moment.  "Let's just say I have some special talents.  But I didn't force you to do anything!  I just wanted you to know how desperately I needed you to come through right at that moment!  You did so of your own volition, and I can't thank you enough!  You and I are here together; no one and nothing is between us now... well, except maybe these pants of mine..."

    Porrim gave her a smirk that belied the voice in her head that asked _Forced?  What does she mean by that?_  "Then maybe you should remedy that?"  

    "Hmmmmmmmm... I like the way you think!"  Spinneret took a step back from the bed, hooked her thumbs into her waistband and slid off her remaining clothing.    She looked at the leg restraints for a moment, and nodded.  "Yes, I believe I can put these to use tonight..."  
   
    As she felt her legs being locked down in a slightly askew position, Porrim tried her best to forget about the last few days; she felt like a massive burden had been lifted from her... perhaps on an even more primal level, she rather felt like she won.   _And just what did you win, hm?  More misery?  More torment?  Who knows?_  She replied fiercely to that voice this time, _I won her love!  The most valuable thing I can think of!   And now that the worst is finally over, I'm going to enjoy every single moment of this!_  
   
    Spinneret appeared beside her and gave her a contemplative look.  "Just trying to figure out how best to approach this..."  After a moment, she gingerly placed both knees on the bed so as not to bounce it too hard against Porrim's back, then swung one leg over so that she was facing away from her.  Porrim initially got a good view of the spider's web that adorned her back (and more poignantly, the blue scars embedded in it), and then her field of vision was filled with a very close look at a blue-tinged posterior.  "Just trying to come up with a little something for you to look at while you sit back and enjoy what's coming to you..." she purred.  
   
    Between the sight and the scents, Porrim was almost driven mad.  The ache in her back almost disappeared, and she wished so desperately that her hands were free now to touch and explore, but again, she found the restraint enhanced the desire.  Mindfang could hear her straining against the chains and chuckled softly.  "Nn-nnnnnnnn... no touching.  It's for you, my love.  Just let your senses take it all in..."  
   
    The first flicks of Spinneret's tongue sent Porrim someplace else, and the next ones brought her back again.  She watched as Mindfang rocked her hips and moved in such a fashion as to give her the fullest view of her most intimate places; she would have given her right arm in exchange for a longer tongue.  Spinneret's sweet and salty scent took up residence in a place so far inside of her mind that she knew it could never leave.   Her legs shook uncontrollably as fingers, lips and tongue embraced every single inch of the space between them.  On and on it went; she completely lost track of time as her senses were completely overtaken; Spinneret would occasionally dip her hips so that her wetness was almost within reach, but just as she would reach out with the only part she could, those soft blue lips would be withdrawn.  And then, somewhere in between breaths, her fingers and toes curled as her mind exploded into starlight and the flood that came from her carried all of the tension and emotion that had lived within her heart over the last week away in mere moments.  She was surprised her eyes could even still form tears after all that she'd cried, but the sweet release was too much to bear and the clear green water welled up under her eyes and overflowed; they tickled her ears but she couldn't clear them away if she wanted to.  

    She didn't even notice Spinneret had climbed off of the bed; her first hint was the unlocking of the shackles on her legs.  By the time the last one was undone, Porrim felt the strength to not only lift herself up, but to clamp an arm around Mindfang's wrist quite firmly.  She was still breathing hard as she gazed up at the woman who had just driven her all the way around the bend and then gave her a fierce smile borne of both gratitude and desire to express that gratitude in an urgent manner.

    "Well, well!  Something tells me you enjoyed that!  Are you certain that you're strong enough to re-aaaaaaaah!"  Spinneret's speech was cut short as Porrim pulled her onto the bed, rolled her over and began returning the favour in earnest.  

 

 

    An hour later the plate of food was empty, much was had to drink (Porrim couldn't recall ever drinking so much water at one time), and the two women were curled up under the changed-out covers of the bed.  Red daylight poured in through the window, and Porrim, who was lying on her side facing towards it, drank it in. while Spinneret idly ran her fingers through her hair.  "I still don't see what you get out of that; all it does is sting my eyes," Mindfang grumbled.  

    Porrim sighed contentedly.  "I've missed it so.  It's healing... I know you don't understand it, but it's just something I need."  

    A twinge of regret touched Spinneret for a moment.   _I understand it perhaps too well,_ she thought.  "One of these days, maybe I will."  She moved her hand from her hair up one of her horns and back down again and she thought she could almost hear Porrim purr.  "Did you need me to touch up the salve on your back?"

    She shook her head slightly.  "I should be okay."   _I hope..._

    As they drifted into sleep, Spinneret kissed her forehead and Porrim snuggled in closer.  She let her gaze linger on her and contemplated all that had unfolded.   _I have her... in one piece, more or less intact.  But even after all of that, she is still unaware of what I've done and what I'm capable of, and for that, I'm thankful._  She sighed heavily.   _What kind of future can we have, though?  She is still technically a political prisoner; a social outcast... but then so am I, in many ways.  Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to her?  No, it's more than that... her beauty, her optimism, they shine through even when all is dark around her.  It's almost like she glows inside..._


	8. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout of the meeting between Mindfang, Dualscar and Dolorosa as seen through the petulant and anguished mind of Cronus Ampora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This would mark the end of the first “act” of the story. Hope you’re enjoying it! Sorry it’s a VERY short chapter; in fact, I think it’s the shortest of all of them, including the Epilogue and Coda, but have no fear! I’ll make it up to you come the lengthy Chapter 9! 
> 
> My editor, [Mercale](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercale/pseuds/Mercale), has been posting like a woman possessed as of late, so make sure you check out her masterlist of fics if you feel like you’ve been robbed by this pathetically tiny chapter. She will take very good care of your HS fic needs.

  
** 8. **

    Cronus Ampora would have slammed his bedroom door if it wasn’t mechanically powered.  He crashed down onto his massive waterbed face first and clutched at the sheets.  There was precious little visible light in the room and he wanted it that way; if he was going to suffer, he was going to suffer in darkness.  He tried to recall a time in his long life when he last felt this much heartache but couldn’t come up with one.   _So close... I was so close to finally having her..._

    He picked his head up and another thought struck him.   _Or were you?  Were you ever really that close?  She’s far too devious... too creative.  Did you ever really have a shot at her red love?  Or was the whole damn thing a setup from the beginning?_  The idea of it both amazed him and destroyed him simultaneously.   _She’s good... too good for her own damn good.  And that’s why you wanted her so badly._

    The twisting in his heart and his gut wasn’t just at the fact that Mindfang had summarily rejected him once and for all, but for whom.   The idea that she would drop him like so much flotsam in favour of a lowblood slave that she purchased (from him, no less) was like a double stab in the tenderest of places.   He didn’t need to turn on the lights to know that his room was full of the rarest of relics from civilizations long conquered by his plans and schemes, and adorned with exquisite architecture inspired by the finest minds Alternia had to offer; he knew it was there, and that none of it would have impressed Spinneret Mindfang in the very least... unless she was to consider making off with it somehow.  No, she was impressed... in love, even, or so it appeared...  with a greenblood who didn’t even own her own pot to piss in.  
   
    This was the hardest thing for Dualscar to contend with; he wasn’t used to not obtaining whatever he desired.  One way or another, he would find a way to deal with the blow, but in this case, there was nothing he could fall back on save imprisonment, and with someone like her, it just wouldn’t be the same.  He didn’t even have abilities like Mindfang’s (other than the apparent skill to resist hers; she seemed unable to manipulate anyone higher than her on the hemospectrum); all he could rely on was his status, which evidently wasn’t enough on its own to win her over.  

    He flipped over and pushed air out through his mouth in a tight burst.   _What more can I possibly offer her?  I offer her protection, she turns up her nose.  I offer her amnesty, she wants no part of it.  I offer her a lifetime of the darker passions she craves, she goes and falls for a foul piece of traitorous trash.   What else can I give her?  What does she WANT from me?_

    Suddenly, it came to him.   _She told you what she wanted, you buffoon!  She wants blackrom from you!   Maybe she was right; you can’t have it both ways!  So instead of making attempts on her red quadrants, which she keeps rebuffing, why don’t you do everything you can to give her the ultimate in black, black romance!  Maybe then, once you show her everything you’re capable of and then maybe she’ll be the one begging YOU for something redder!   You just need to prove yourself first, hm_?

    He considered this for a moment and then ran his tongue back and forth over his sharp teeth.   _Possibly. However, the Marquise does need to be taken down a peg.  NEEDS to be.  I can’t have her sailing about thinking that she’s bested her superior in any way, shape or form.  Yes, there will be black, but there may also be blood as well.  At the very least, she must learn her place in this darkness will be dictated by me and me alone!_

    A fresh pang at the memory of the events that just unfolded an hour ago swept over him and he squirmed on his sheets as it passed.   _It certainly doesn’t make up for losing her red... I was so CLOSE!_  

    Another sigh.   _Let’s not take this circuitous argument again, hmm?  You’re better than this.  I know it hurts.  Deeper than you’ve been hurt in centuries.  But if you want to show her how black you can be, what’s stopping you from kicking her right in her red feelings?_  

    No one could see the smile that crossed his lips in the dark.   _You mean revenge?  Oh yes, I do like the sound of that.  Very much so._  

    All of the horrible energies that were being dedicated to self-doubt and misery began to be shifted towards a new target.  “Computer, link me to the Comm Officer on Duty.”  A short pause and then a response.  “Lieutenant, contact the head captain of the 2nd Alternian Fleet.  Tell him I have a set of coordinates that requires his immediate investigation.  I have it on good authority that there’s a small band of pirates out there making sail for the coastal islands.  I want him to intercept them as soon as possible; shouldn’t take them long, maybe a couple of hours.  Draw the battle out as long as able and then let them escape.  Also, send a pair of destroyers to South Maelstrom Cove.  They’ll find two ships docked there.  Let them have it with shots across the bow as soon as the other battle has been disengaged and the moment their reinforcements appear, break it off.  I know it’s during the day, all the better.  I just want to send that merry little network of Gamblignants a gentle reminder who is in charge here.  Copy all that?  Good.  Now get on it.”

    _There's no way she'll be able to resist leading the defense herself,_ he thought.   _If I'm not invited to their little tea party, the very least I can do is rain on it.  After all, what are kismesises for?_  



	9. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Porrim wakes to find herself alone yet again, but this time, she has the (somewhat limited) freedom she was promised by the Marquise. The question is what will she choose to do with it! Porrim discovers that sometimes her own mind can be the most challenging opponent she has... especially when that 'inner voice' is making too much sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 9, in which Porrim is killed by angry droids. Ha ha, no... but she's worried about it! You'll see why. And yes, this one's quite a bit longer than last time! 
> 
> Thanks as always to Mercale (http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercale/works?selected_tags[]=117807), who has posted a whole mittful of new HS stories as of late, including multiple chapters of "Doomed to Dream", the Sollux segment of her far-reaching series, "Lives Under the Pink Moon". You need to read these, trust me.

 

  **9. **

    Porrim awoke well after sundown.  As she came to, she rapidly became aware of two things: first, the lines torn into her back the night before currently felt like someone was dragging hot coals across her shoulder blade.  Secondly, she was by herself in the bed again.  She wasn’t sure which of the two caused her more alarm but she was wide awake in a matter of moments.  She clutched the bedsheet to her chest and scanned the room; while there was no visible sign of Spinneret, she did notice something that suggested she was not about to be subjected to a fresh volley of psychological experimentation (at least, it didn’t appear that way at first blush): the door to her cell was open.  
   
    She glanced over to the place where she last saw Mindfang sleeping beside her.  There was a pale blue piece of paper resting on the pillow; it lay in the remaining hint of the dent made by her head not all that long ago.  A long white feather lay beside it, and the tip was stained a dark blue.  Porrim couldn’t pick up the note quickly enough.  The blue handwriting suggested someone who was practiced in their script and wrote often; it was legible, if a touch hurried:

_Dear Heart,_  
     
    _It pains me to have to leave you like this so soon, but I fear this is the nature of the life I chose to live.  I received a message early this evening that one of my fleets was under assault by Imperial vessels, and so I called upon my own crew to fly to their aid.  I do not know what awaits us there, but if battle is offered it will be accepted and returned in same.  I am uncertain when I shall return, but I hope most fervently that it will not be a terribly lengthy absence for it is you who occupies my heart and mind right now and after all that has transpired, it must be rather difficult for you to awake to find me gone again.  Have no fear, I shall return if luck wills it.  It is the thoughts of your kindness and warm arms that buoy my spirits on this journey and despite how much I relish these naval skirmishes, I enjoy your presence much, much more and I will do everything that I possibly can to ensure not only a victorious outcome, but a swift return home so that we can resume where we so unfortunately and abruptly left off._  
  
 _You will find that not only is your cell door open but as promised, you have complete access to the room and all of its provisions.  The droids are on a maintenance schedule and will continue to upkeep the room and restock your foodstuffs as need be.  You have been given basic control privileges; the computer will respond to your voice if you wish to activate the music or adjust the lighting, but for the time being, you will not be able to exit to the hallway as I cannot guarantee your safety outside of these walls after the events of the night previous.  At least, not without my being there personally to protect you from whatever may lie beyond!_

_Even though I am standing beside you as I write this, I am already missing you dearly and will count down the hours until I am once again holding you close.  May your dreams be sweet and our parting short._  
   
    _Love,_  
 _Spinneret         XXXXXXXX_

_P.S. – I left the salve for you on the edge of your trap.  Apply it when you wake up and before you go to bed.  It will help._  
 

    Porrim first felt a surge of relief and joy that not only was she not being subjected to another peculiar test of her emotions, but that Spinneret was looking out for her.   _It’s nice to be cared about,_ she thought as she made her way towards the trap to find the cylinder of salve.   _Not that my Kankri or my friends didn’t but this is different..._

    As she unscrewed the top of the container and dipped her fingers into the viscous semi-liquid, her mind drifted back to them again.   _Nice of you to think about them again; you’ve been rather preoccupied with being somebody’s pet lately..._

    She smeared the salve as best as she could over the burning lacerations; the sting was awful and her breath caught in her throat for a moment.  As she forced her way forward, she found herself arguing with her inner voice again:   _I thought I dealt with this; why can’t I let myself be happy?  She’s right; there’s nothing I can do for them anymore.  I will always cherish the memories of our time together and carry his message to the ears of anyone who will hear it, so why do I feel so guilty?  This is just... torture of a different kind.  Why should I keep inflicting it on myself?_  
   
    _Why would someone who professes to love you so inflict torture on you in the first place?  Keep that in mind._  Her nail suddenly caught the scabbing edge of one of the scratches and she yelped as she dropped the salve container to the floor.  

    _The only one torturing me right now is ME and it needs to STOP.  Enough of this!  She cares for me... loves me... that’s all that matters now!_  She ignored the burning sensation and reached down to pick up the container.  As she put the lid on, she realized that there wouldn’t be much point in climbing into the ablution trap right away with the salve just freshly applied.   _Well, that just messes things up, doesn’t it?  Might as well get dressed..._  Porrim donned her black and green dress and then faced another decision: start her circuit, or investigate the room outside her open door?   _Since my routine has already been derailed, I might as well go and see what’s what out there..._

    She tucked the note and the feather under her pillow beside the golden earring.  As she took her first tentative steps past the threshold of the cell’s gate, she looked around warily just in case something was watching her.  She thought back to the letter and how Spinneret mentioned 'she couldn’t guarantee safety beyond these walls,' but realized that she was referring to the room as a whole and the door she wasn’t permitted to exit was the door on her right that led to the hallway beyond.  Even so, that tall sea-dweller was here in this very room less than a day ago; what was to stop him from coming back?  She had to trust Mindfang (yet again) that whatever defenses she had, they would be enough to protect her from any unpleasant incursions.

    Once she was finished scaring the daylights out of herself (a phrase she never really cared much for), Porrim quickly made her way across the room as she needed to make use of the load gaper but wanted to try the private one again.  She barely remembered her first use of it and she wanted to take a better survey of what was in there.  Once she entered, the light came on automatically.  She hiked up her dress, sat down to conduct her business and took a look around: the room had a mirror which housed a medicine cabinet, which is where she assumed Spinneret got the salve from, as well as a sink and shower-style ablution trap.  The scent of the soap Spinneret favoured was strong in here and Porrim drank it in.  
   
    After she had flushed the gaper and washed her hands, Porrim took a look in the cabinet.   _I hope she doesn’t think I’m prying, she thought rather guiltily; I just want to know what I’ve got to work with._  There wasn’t an awful lot inside: a few small bottles of what appeared to be analgesics, another container of the salve, a fang-scraper ( _mine must be getting rather dull,_ she calculated as she ran her tongue over them, _but I’d feel really odd about using someone else’s... even if I have been kissing her_ ) and some bandage gauze with a spool of what seemed to be silk thread and needle beside it.   _This must be what she uses for basic repairs if she encounters said battles._   She shuddered at the thought of losing her already to a soldier’s lucky shot, but if there’s anyone who seemed to be unusually lucky, it was Mindfang.   _She’ll be fine... don’t worry... easier said than done, of course.  I’ve already watched someone I cared for face a bitter end.  Why not another?_  She put her face in her hands and tried to fight down the despair that once again washed over her.   _Maybe my meditative walks are more important to my mental well-being than I thought?  What else can I do to keep my mind busy?_  She looked up at the contents of the medicine chest again and the answer was right in front of her face.   _Of course... but what can I use with it?_  
   
    Porrim grabbed the needle and thread spool then dashed out of the toilet.  She scanned the room, this time looking for something to work with.  Her eyes flicked to the couch first:   _No.  Way.  We... er... need that.  Besides, I believe that’s obscenely expensive.  How about the chairs?  Ummm... something tells me those are pretty valuable, too.  What can I use?_  She looked back to her cell; out the window she could see the occasional flash of lightning as a storm was moving past.   _One would think I would have noticed that by now; there are windows in this room that are... covered!  Yes, let’s see the curtains!_  She turned to look at the two windows that flanked the computer screen: both were covered by identical two-layered drapes in shiny royal blue and black.   _PERFECT!  Now, what could I use to cut the material?  Might need to employ that fang scraper after all, but I can’t imagine the quality of the finished product if I had to chew my way through the fabric..._

    She put a hand on the back of her head.   _Come on, Porrim, think!  You didn’t come up with this idea just to let it go to waste because you... couldn’t..._  She patted the hair back there and started to smile as she looked towards the mirror and then the silver scissors perched on the side of the ablution trap on her side of the bars.   _Problem solved.  Nice._  She marched over towards her bed area, went through the door, picked up the scissors and thrust them into the air victoriously.  “Haha!  Who’s awesome?”

    _Not you... you sell out your friends because your girlfriend who likes to screw with your head asks you to,_ was the internal reply.  She let the arm with the scissors drop to her side and slumped back out into the main room.  She perked up again fairly quickly when she looked up at the curtains; she set the thread and scissors down on the table and went over to them.  She took some of the silky satin material into her hand and rolled it around in her fingers.   _Oh, this is nice... very nice indeed._  She looked up and started trying to figure out how difficult it was going to be to remove them.   _Nothing too out of the ordinary; just a simple rod setup... but a touch high up._  

    She pushed one of the chairs over and found that if she stood on her toes, she was able to knock the curtain rod loose from its mooring; it crashed to the ground and she almost fell off the chair when the noise startled her.   _Getting a little jumpy these days, Porrim?  Relax!_  Once she regained her balance, she stepped off and proceeded to move the chair to the other curtain.  This time, she caught the falling rod with her left hand and dragged it and the fabric back with her as she hopped down.  She removed the rods from both and then took the drapes over to the couch while trying to make sure she didn’t knock over the table with her other supplies in the process.  

    As she looked over the fabric and tried to formulate a plan, Porrim felt a rumble from her stomach.   _I suppose it’s getting on that time, isn’t it?  Or is it?_  She looked around; there wasn’t a clock in the place.  Looking outside to figure out the hour was pointless; she was capable enough at using stellar positions to approximate time but the flashes of lightning from the passing storms reminded her it was a moot skill for the moment.  It suddenly dawned on her that there was another way: “Computer, what time is it?”  The reply told her it was almost exactly midnight.  Moments later, a droid entered the room through a compartment beside the bookshelf, made its way over to the thermal hull, extracted a prepared plate of grubloaf, squirted a blob of sauce on the side and then proceeded over to the door of her cell.  It seemed momentarily confused by the fact that the door was open as it stood still, apparently processing whether or not it should leave its payload anyway or await further instructions.  

    “Umm... I’m over here!” she called out.  The droid swivelled on its base and made its way toward her.  It rolled to a halt a short distance away from her feet and then extended its arms to offer her the meal.  Once she took it, the droid immediately returned from whence it came.  
   
    Porrim regarded the plate and the bland, cold loaf on it.   _Well, I’m still hungry right on schedule, for what that’s worth._  She looked over to the small microwave box sitting on the counter beside the thermal hull and said, “I can do a little better than this.”  She started heating it up, and while it was cooking, she opened the thermal hull and found a few bottles of various sauces inside; many of them were handmade and exotic.  When the loaf was done, she brought it out and squirted a few of the sauces all around it.   _Since my routine is already completely shot today anyway, I might as well enjoy myself!_

    The sauces were everything she thought they’d be: unusual and flavourful; dipping the heated grubloaf into them just made the flavours shine through that much more.   _Oh... this is gooooooood.  I could really get used to this._  Her meal didn’t last very long, and although she tried to be careful, a spot of one of the sauces ended up on her dress.  She looked around furtively, made certain that no one else was in the room, and then sucked it out of the fabric.   _Not wasting any of that, thank you very much..._

    After a couple of glasses of water, Porrim returned to her pile of curtains and considered how to start her project.  She looked back towards the bed; sadly, Spinneret didn’t leave a single article of clothing behind for her to work with.   _But I do have something we both share!_  Pleased with herself for coming up with another idea, she headed back into her cell area and grabbed the soft jade green robe Mindfang gave her the second time they met.   _Spinneret wears the exact same size; it just fits her better because she’s not as big in the bust... or the butt...  as I am.  At least it gives me a starting point._  
   
    She carried the robe out to the main room and then laid it down onto the curtains.   _Now, I need to mark the shape.  What I wouldn’t give for a pen... oh wait.  Back I go again..._   A few moments later, she had the blue-tipped feather in her hand and was marking the perimeter of the robe’s back onto the royal blue curtain. Porrim found the feather contained a reservoir of ink and was thankful for a modernized version of the antique writing instrument.    
   
    “Well, guess I’m all in now,” she said quietly as she picked up the scissors and prepared to make the first cut into the fabric.  She paused for a moment and considered the import of what she’d just said and let a soft chuckle slip.   _I feel like I’ve been all in for some time now... just cut the damn material and let’s go._  
   
    Since the back of the robe went only a short distance further down Spinneret’s backside than it did on her own, she knew she was going to have to improvise somewhat when it came to the length of the hem.  She decided she was going to do something rather unusual based on both a style idea that would compliment her slender frame and the amount of fabric she had to work with, and she cut the curtains accordingly.

    As Porrim began setting up to make her next cuts, she remembered something else that was available to her.  “Computer?”  She waited for a moment; a clicking sound responded to her query.  “Can you play some music?  A random mix of whatever Spinneret likes to listen to?”  A brief pause, and then a piece with some rather thunderous drums began.  A few moments later, Porrim found herself moving in time with it.   _Wouldn’t have been my first choice, but it’s got a nice beat.  I’m just happy to hear music again!_  
   
    By the time she had the pieces all cut and laid out, she took a look at her handiwork.   _My, music makes the time fly!  That seemed like nothing at all!  It just feels so good to be creating something again... and especially for someone who loves me._   The voice she expected to rebut this statement was strangely quiet.   _Hmph.  Must be enjoying the tailoring too much to question it this time._

    As Porrim strategized how to begin putting it together, the question came:   _do you really love her?_  There was no hesitation:   _Of course!  That’s what’s driving this!  This is the best way I can think of to do it!  I need to show her somehow, and then maybe she’ll understand.  Maybe then she’ll finally trust me completely and we can actually have a proper relationship!_  
   
    That seemed to be what her inner voice was waiting for.   _So you are finally coming to realize that this has not been a proper relationship so far?   Doesn’t it seem to be moving along awfully quickly?  Not to mention the rather unusual nature of things that have happened?  Have you ever heard of anyone else being locked up like that by someone they are supposedly in love with?_

    Porrim picked up one of the sleeves then took the needle and thread in between her fingers and went to work, not only on the material, but on herself as well.   _What part of 'I CHOSE TO' don’t you understand?  In the darkest moment of my life, someone was suddenly there who was willing to take a chance on me and give me not only an ear, but a wonderful embrace.  And then she gave me so much more than that!  How could I not want to try and please her in return?_  
   
    She decided then and there she’d had enough of that and focused on the task at hand.  By the time the first shine of red showed up behind the clouds, she had most of the inside layer assembled.   _I’m going to have to do some serious work on the embroidery tomorrow,_ she thought as she stood up and stretched. _Wow... maybe I should do a bit of walking before I get started, too!_  

    Porrim made use of the gaper once more and had another glass of water, but before she headed back towards her bed, she opened the thermal hull, grabbed one of the sauces and then put a dab of it on her finger.   _Just one more little taste couldn’t hurt..._

_BLUH._

_Needs loaf._  She washed her finger off, drank another glass of water and then headed off to what she was starting to consider her bedroom.  She removed her dress and applied another coat of salve to her hot and healing back scratches.   Looking at them in the mirror, she could see how deep and angry they were; they resembled four parallel furrows torn jaggedly into the landscape of her shoulder blade.  She tried to remember the events that led up to her being scratched so, but found she really didn’t want to think about it.   _The only good thing that came of it was that Spinneret came to my aid.  I do wish she was here..._  
   
    She walked over to the bed and slipped the earring out from under her pillow.  She looked at the leftover bits of her own blood that had settled in the slight indentations in the gold.  Porrim carried it over to the ablution trap and rinsed it off.   _I need to take good care of this; I don’t think she’d be too thrilled to see it covered in green like that._  She dried it off in a towel she took from the restocked drawer, placed a kiss on it and then returned it to its place under the pillow beside the handwritten note.  Once she placed the towel on the edge of the trap, she climbed into the recupracoon and hoped for pleasant dreams... ones where her love would return from her travels and battles in one piece.  

 

 

    The next day, she tried to resume her routine: once she awoke, she bathed, dressed and began to walk her path, earring in hand.  After a few passes, however, she couldn’t resist making her way over to her project and picking up the sewing needle.   _I need to get this finished!  I want to surprise her with it.  What if she walked in the door before it was done?  I’d love to see her and know she’s safe, but I’d rather this was finished first!_  

    She looked over the dress and knew what she wanted to do with it; the question was how.   _All I’ve got is this simple black thread; what I need is some silver and there’s only one place I see any of that..._ It occurred to her then that while the bedsheet and pillowcases were made of silver materials, there was most definitely more than one set.  As she picked up the pillow and stripped the case from it, she quietly wondered if the droids would suddenly set on her if she started ripping it.   _Well, guess I’m about to find out..._  
   
    She used the scissors to try and rip some of the finished edges until they frayed, and then began to pull long threads from the pillowcase.  She kept a close eye on the door the droids came and went through, but much to her relief, none appeared.  After some time,  she had a useful bundle of silver strings in her hand and she went back to work on the dress.

    Porrim began to stitch a silver web design into the blue chest of the dress as well as the front black section of the dress’s lower panel.   _This should still be visible behind her legs.  At least I hope so; this is probably going to take all night!_  
   
    Which it did.  Aside from a break for eating (the droid came right to her this time, but the loaf was still cold) and few short ones for water and gaper breaks, she toiled away on the embroidery for hours until it was complete.  The music and the work consumed her utterly, and she loved every moment of it.  She also noticed that when she returned to her bedroom that night that the pillowcase she had sacrificed had been replaced.   _Good to know..._

     
    On the third day, she didn’t bother even trying to convince herself to go walking; she just went straight to joining the blue and black sections.  Her left hand ached and was almost cramped into a claw, but she continued as long as she could until a plate of cold grubloaf was almost dropped into her lap by an impatient droid.  Once she had it heated and eaten, she immediately went back to work.  By the time the sun rose, the main body of the dress was completely assembled, and as the sopor slime overtook her, she found herself almost hoping Spinneret could stay away just for one more night so that she could finish her lovely surprise.

 

    As the sun set to start her fourth day alone, Porrim realized that this was the longest she’d gone without seeing Spinneret since their affair had started; even during what she’d come to call the 'Dark Days,' she never went more than what she believed to be three nights without at least laying eyes on her.  As she bathed in the trap, she added an extra couple of drops of the soap and let her mind drift.  She wished that the leather jacket and hint of salt on it were nearby to complete the scentscape.  She also wished there was some way she could talk to Spinneret; reach out to her mind as she did to her. She knew that she had no special abilities like that, but would’ve given almost anything to have them right then, just so she could know that her lover was still all right.  
   
    Once she was dried and dressed, she looked over to the dress.  She was going to need a way to lace up the back and wanted to add some silver accents as well.  She eyed up the pillowcase again but realized that it wouldn’t do what she needed it to this time.   _It’s going to have to be the sheet.  Oh my…  I hope these aren’t too expensive...  but then, I don’t really think money is much of an object where Spinneret is concerned. And I know for sure there’s more where this came from!  Well, got to finish this somehow..._

    A minute later, strips were being cut from the silvery sheet; soon after, they were being threaded through holes in the back of the dress.  Some of them were folded into flowers, placed over a black base and sewn to the front using some of the leftover threads from the pillowcase, while others became accents on the back.  After Porrim finished her meal (she had certainly picked her favourites where the sauces were concerned), she added black and silver webs between the flowers to tie it all together.  A large black bow was fashioned and attached to the side near where Mindfang’s right hip would go.

    _I sure hope she doesn’t come back with any serious cuts... I’m almost out of thread,_ she thought as she massaged her sore left hand in time with the music that surrounded her.   _I sure wish I had a form to put this over so I could see how it turned out and fine tune it, but I’m used to guerrilla sewing; I didn’t have one when I made Meulin’s..._

    The memory of sewing the black and olive dress surged through Porrim’s mind and she remembered the sheer joy on the face of the feral girl once she tried it on.  She tried to remember it practically before the emotions tore her heart apart: it fit her well in all of the places it needed to, but then, she’d had a chance to measure her properly which was something she hadn’t done with Spinneret.   _I’m lucky to have this bath robe or there’s no way I could have even made it this far!  I’m sure I can make any alterations if need be._  
   
    She picked up her creation and fondly regarded it.   _Yeah... this is good.  I just hope it fits!_  There was no way she could possibly try it on herself; Mindfang had a narrower body frame and to even attempt it would wreck it beyond repair... she simply had to trust in her own abilities.   _I suppose as far as skills go, being able to sew things isn’t quite as impressive as mental telepathy, but I’m still pretty happy with what I have._

    At last Porrim took stock of the room; the red daylight was creeping into the shadeless windows and splashed upon the bookshelf behind her.  The computer screen in front displayed the name of the song that was echoing through the room: a soft, haunting piece that, like pretty much everything else she’d been listening to the last four days, she wasn’t familiar with but the lush sounds helped her focus on her travails.  The kitchen to her right remained stocked at all times, as Mindfang had said it would, and the couch and chairs around her were not only comfortable but beautiful to look at.   _I am happy, indeed... and yet... Is this room where I’ll spend the rest of my life?_   She looked at the dress which she laid down on the couch, and then proceeded to fold it.   _I certainly hope not. While it’s much better than the prison I’ve been in, it’s still a prison.  I can only hope that Spinneret sees how much she means to me.  As she set the folded blue and black dress down on one of the chairs,_ she thought, _And just maybe this will help..._


	10. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Admiral Ampora learns the results of his attack on Mindfang's Gamblignant fleet and also gets an opportunity to talk to her for the first time since his visit to her hive. A shift in the uneasy balance of power begins to develop, forcing Mindfang to contemplate the necessity of truthfulness, particularly where her red lover is concerned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's another shorty, but the next Chapter is, by a wide margin, the longest in the story, so set aside a good 15-20 minutes to tangle with that one. Expect revelations, a few tears, and some... steamy scenes. 
> 
> Hey, if you folks would like to see some fan art associated with this, swing by this chapter on my dA: http://drhicks76.deviantart.com/art/Beautiful-Jewel-Chapter-10-352595252  
> Least I can do considering this one's so short!

  
** 10. **

    Admiral Ampora sat in his command chair, brooding away.  Reports flooded the screens around him; information scrolled by almost faster than he could process it.  Yet none of it interested him.  He hadn’t heard a word about the mission he sent to the 2nd Fleet and it bothered him immensely.   _Why am I still so hung up on her?  Why the hell can’t I just let the whole thing go?_  
   
    His memory returned to the face of the jadeblood slave.  Even now, days later, the question _Why her?_ ceaselessly beat against the inside of his thinkpan; very little else seemed to bring forth any real emotion in him, and the only emotion was bitter disappointment.  

    He sighed and tried to get interested in the data being beamed back from their expeditionary forces, but all he could bring himself to think of was the Marquise and he wondered how she was dealing with what he threw at her this time.  The plan he was formulating was coming together, and at the same time, he couldn’t help but resist the idea of implementing it, just in case there was a chance that she might change her mind about the red side of their relationship.   _A side that doesn’t exist... remember that, he chastised himself._  
   
    He was interrupted by a shout from his Comm officer: “Sir, we’re getting a transmission from the _Black Depths_...”

    _At last!  An update!  I’ve waited too damn long..._ “Put it on screen #1.”  He started speaking before the picture resolved itself.  “Hello, Captain!  What news on the Gamblignants?”

    “We’re doing just fine... Croooooooonus.”

    His jaw hung open as Mindfang filled the screen with a toothy grin.  He balled his fists and shouted, “Comm!  Send this transmission to my office, secure channel one!”  He didn’t even wait for a reply, but just stormed off to his private room adjacent to the Operations area.

    Dualscar threw himself into his large chair as he activated the screen.  “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”  

    “I should be asking you the same thing!  You send some boats out after me that we could have heard coming from miles and miles away, but they seem aimless... adrift.  Certainly not the quality of feint I would have come to expect from you and yours.  It’s like they weren’t even trying!  And then, just as we’re lining up a counter-assault, your little fleet tries to escape!  That simply won’t do, Cronus.”  He tried to hold back a growl but she could hear it and smirked.  “So, we did what we do best: we chased them down and took them for our own purposes.”

    “There were at least seven ships in that group!” he gaped, “How did you...”

    Mindfang beamed.  “Oh, that was the easy part!  We took the battleship first!  Once we had the big guns under our control, we just punched holes in everything else.”  

    Dualscar swallowed.  “Took... the battleship...”

    She nodded.  “Yep!  I mean, I’m calling you from it, aren’t I?  And once we nicely had things taken care of here, we got word a couple of my ships docked at South Maelstrom were being accosted by Imperial Destroyers!  Can you believe it?”

    He looked at the screen through his fingers.  “Uh-huh.”

    “So, get this: we booked it at fast as this bucket could go.  Gotta admit, for a huge chunk of iron, she moves like a greased up snoutbeast!  We nicely get there and the crews advise that they haven’t actually been hit; it was like the destroyers were just lobbing shots at them to keep them busy!  So, guess what I did?”

    “Do I really want to know?”

    She laughed, “Of course you do!  I sank those filthy tubs!  One shell into the ammunition locker and the first one was flotsam in under a minute.  The second one we surrounded and raided for supplies, and then we blew it to bits with its own charges!  I must say, the rations you’re feeding your Navy these days are rather bland.  I’ve had better loaf in a brigblock!”

    Ampora slumped back into his chair.  “Give me a good reason why I don’t dispatch the rest of the fleet and put you back into one.”

    That earned him a sight of the Gamblignant casting a look over her shoulder at her crew; they appeared to be busy with various tasks on the bridge.  “Are you sure you want to talk about that right now?  Okay, look... I know things didn’t quite go the way you wanted them to the other night, and it’s pretty obvious that the reason you organized this little disturbance was to pull me away from someone else.  This is your way of either expressing your displeasure over the whole thing, or trying to blacken things a little more, which I really do appreciate, but I hope this makes you understand that trying to make my red life miserable by wasting shells on my boats will only result in heavier losses for you and your Navy.”

    He gathered his face into a fierce snarl.  “Would you rather I did something else?  Like fill your little toy in on how she came into your possession?  You’re going to have to deal with that sooner than later, or else..."

    Her eyes widened and the smile disappeared in an instant.  “Or else what...”

    All of a sudden, Dualscar felt the tide shift.  “Or else maybe I will.  I can show her what you’re really about.  You think she’ll want anything to do with you once she sees what you’re capable of?  How about the contract?  Maybe the kitchen table should find out how much you paid for it, hmm?”

    She gritted her teeth.  “You stay out of my hive, Cronus.  She’s off limits.”

    “Ha!  You plan to keep her there forever?  Hell of a red relationship you’ve got going on there!  Why don’t you put her on a leash and take her for a walk around town?  But then again, who walks their furniture?  It just stays and home and does nothing.  Bet you’re real proud of it!  Plan to show it off to all your friends?   Oh, wait, you don’t have any.  And you’ve already paraded her around under my nose before.  You should be thanking me, Marquise; after all, wasn’t it I who suggested you try and bend her to your will without doing it your usual ways?  I bet she’d love to hear about all your other pets that danced for you and undressed you and licked you silly without knowing they were even doing it.  Should she find out what happened to them when they came to or you became bored with them?  I wonder what she did for you when you took her upstairs that night... has she done it since of her own volition?  I bet you couldn’t resist putting your fingers in her thinkpan again when you needed a good mauling.  Which just makes it all the more difficult to understand why you would turn away someone who would give you that without you having to manipulate them.”

    She pursed her lips and nodded.  “So that’s what this is about then.  You’re still sore from losing the wager.  Well, let me tell you something: she gives me more pleasure of her own will than you’ll ever know.  You leave her out of this.”

    “I dunno... maybe we should find out just how red she is for you when she learns just how you operate.  Do you think she’ll still love you when I tell her the truth about what you are?  Think she’ll love a manipulative little slave-driver, hmmm?  Not a chance.  It’s a good thing you have the abilities you do, Mindfang,” he spat, “or else you’d never share a bed with anyone, much less a kitchen table!”  

    She was squirming and he enjoyed every single moment of it.  “If that’s the case,” she countered, “then why did you want into my pants so badly?  Was I going to be just another slum to go chucking your knuckle into and then left to busy myself in your chamber while I anxiously awaited your glorious return?  What the hell kind of life would that have been for someone like me?”

    Ampora leaned in towards the screen.  “I don’t know.  Why don’t you ask your table and find out!”

    Mindfang felt her stomach drop.  She did her best to compose herself and said, “You stay away from her.  Besides, you got what you wanted in return, right?”

    “I did indeed.  Updated the file and sent it off to the Condesce two days ago.  I’m sure she’ll be more than pleased.”

    “Good.  Hope that works out for you.  You just keep this in mind: I’m all for playing Ship Wars with you.  This is all kinds of black fun, believe me, but you stay out of my hive and my red dealings, okay?  That’s not your concern.”

    Dualscar gave her a half smile.  “And I thought all was fair in love and war, hmm?”

    She gave him a rather dark look.  “There are places even a black lover shouldn’t go, Cronus.  This is one of them.”

    “You just don’t like the idea of someone holding the upper hand on you, that’s all.  The idea that at any time I could simply walk in and completely destroy your so-called relationship by doing absolutely nothing more than telling the truth about you must make you crazy.  How will you ever sleep at night?”

    “Happily beside someone who loves me, thank you very much.  If, that is, someone else kindly stops pestering my crew at ugly hours of the day.  Next time it crosses your pan to pull another stunt like this, just remember what I now have at my disposal, and I will happily use it to dispose of more of your floating shit rafts if you choose to waste them so.  And if you come anywhere near my hive without me present, I will put holes in many other things far more valuable to you than even your precious fleet.   Understand me?”

    The channel was abruptly closed.  Ampora leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath.   _Hmmm... that went fairly well.  Better than I hoped, actually.  I may have lost a ship or two... well, maybe more than that, but it’s worth it just to see her twitch.  Oh, Miss Mindfang, your days of twisting the knife in my belly are over and done; let’s see how you like it now..._  


 

 

    Mindfang stood beside the comm terminal and took a few deep breaths.   _That did not go well.  At all._  All around her were the spoils of the largest prize she and her band had ever taken from the Imperial Navy, and all she could think about was what she’d do if Dualscar got to Porrim before she did.  “Helmsman!” she shouted, “Set course for Base 2, flank speed!  We can’t bring this into the main port, obviously, but I can take my ship back home from there.  Make sure the others know what we’re up to.  I need some time to think.”  

    Once she sat down in the captain’s office, she put her head in her hands and tried to come up with an answer for Dualscar’s threat.   _There is only one answer, isn’t there?_  She sighed loudly.   _I just don’t know how else to do it... or what she’ll say.  I suppose that’s the price I have to pay for falling for her.  But what do I do if she can’t handle the truth?  What then?  Does she really need to know it all?_  Spinneret looked up, towards the computer screen, and wished she could call Porrim from here to let her know everything was all right.   _I suppose I will have to tell her in person and see what happens..._  



	11. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the longest chapter by far of Beautiful Jewel. In this installment, Mindfang returns to her hive to find Porrim enjoying some interesting literature (how appropriate). Porrim presents the Marquise with her handmade gift, which produces rather stunning and unexpected results. Mindfang reveals a secret to Porrim before complimenting her and compelling her to enjoy some time in the ablution trap. Porrim expresses her concerns over the future of their relationship to which Mindfang offers the only reassurances she can provide, which may not be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To say more than what the summary states would be spoiling it, but just know that this chapter is chalk-full of emotionally charged discourse and intercourse. The theme of the importance of names plays a significant role here. This is, by far, the longest chapter of the story and explores Porrim and Spinneret’s relationship, both its present and future. It’s under “Mature” lockdown for a reason but the sexual elements aren’t here just for kicks; they are to illustrate the loving and playful side of a new relationship. The Story is, as always, paramount.
> 
> Also under the category of “as always”, thanks to my editor, Mercale, for enjoying/enduring/editing/encouraging me during this chapter as well as to my pre-readers for their input and kind words. I always worry you guys are going to freak out when this story gets graphic and yet, you’re still here (if you don’t like the explicit parts, you can just skip them - if you do like ‘em, who am I to argue? I ship this so hard you have no idea), so thanks again. Enjoy! :::;)

**11.**  
  
    On the fifth day by herself Porrim resumed her previous morning routine: watching the sun set, bathing, dressing and pacing around the bed with Mindfang’s earring in hand… at least to start.   _This is good for the exercise and keeping my head together, but there’s just more interesting things I could be doing!_  She slipped the earring back under her pillow and walked out into the room.  Once there she took a look at the blue and black dress which was still sitting on one of the chairs, nicely folded and waiting to be presented.  She couldn’t help but feel excited about it; _I can’t wait to give this to her!  I wonder what she’ll think of it?_  
   
    She wandered over to the library and began perusing the books.  As she had anticipated there were many concerning naval tactics, with a few fictional tales about sea battles interspersed.   _Not exactly my thing, she thought, let’s see what else she has…_  On the next shelf, she discovered a few romance novels.   _Ooh!  Let’s see what these are about!_  Porrim selected one at random from the shelf, took in the lengthy title, then leafed through it and found a particularly intense scene involving four of the characters in a rather messy red situation, but there was more than a bit of black involved as well.  With a sigh she turned the page, _why does everything always have to be so complicated when it comes to these things?  Does anything worth having ever come without some kind of fight?_  She thought for a few moments about her own recent ordeals and concluded that all relationships seemed to be a challenge in some way or another.   _All things considered, things could have gone a lot worse, I suppose…_  
  
    After a while Porrim returned the book to its place and continued searching.  As she ran her finger along the spines of the books her eyes lit upon one that was large and stuck out from the shelf somewhat; it was a hardcover, but she could tell it was certainly well read.   _What’s this…_ she wondered and slipped it out for a look.  She opened it to find it was full of well detailed illustrations of sexual positions; her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed, but she couldn’t help but be fascinated by what she was seeing.   _Oh!  That looks… interesting…_  
   
    She took the book over to the couch and continued to flip slowly through it, taking in each page and trying to figure out what exactly was going on.  Many of the annotations in the pictures were in an ancient writing style, Old Trollish, but she was able to read it; learning classical language was part of her training.  The modern explanations were inscribed underneath, but it was the actual positioning of things that interested her most.   _I wonder what that would feel like… What’s the point of that one…  Ouch! I couldn’t use my hooked horn for that!_    
  
    Soon Porrim came to the section that focused on positions for two women.  She found herself studying them, hoping to learn a thing or two.   _There’s nothing I could teach Spinneret here; this IS her book, after all… but maybe I wouldn’t feel like such a schoolgrub in bed all the time if I had a better idea what I was doing._  As she poured over the diagrams, which quite explicitly depicted pretty much everything ending up everywhere, she felt her own stirrings making their presence known and started to slide a hand down to attend to them.  For the first time in her life, she found herself upset with her own beautiful dress as it was not making it easy to access to what she wanted to get at.  Porrim set the book down, stood up and then hiked her dress up enough so that when she sat back down, she could enjoy herself properly.   _Although I’ve never really done a whole lot of this, either, she thought as she began to lightly touch her rapidly warming nub while looking at the pictures._  
  
    With every flip of the page, she looked at where the bodies met and tried to imagine how it would feel between her own legs: a soft, wet tongue; a firm thigh; curved fingers; even another pair of moist lips grinding against her own.   _Such wonderful ideas… I can’t wait to try some of these!  Not so sure the horn ones would work for us, though…_ she thought as her fingers found their way inside of her.  
  
    She was getting so involved in her studies and her self –ministrations that she didn’t hear the door open.  “Porrrrrrrrim!  I’m hoooooooome!”  
  
    As Mindfang came down the short hallway and entered the room, she bore witness to a book being awkwardly dropped and a very green-cheeked Porrim trying to stand up quickly while her skirt was halfway up her waist and refusing to return to whence it came without some persuasion.  Spinneret gave her a broad grin.  
  
    “Well, well!  Either you’ve been doing some intense studying or you decided to start without me!  That’s all right, love; how’ve you been holding up without me arou…”  She stopped suddenly, and started looking around the room.      
  
    In the space of a moment, Porrim went from embarrassed to excited to almost frightened.   She pulled her dress back down with as much aplomb as she could muster and asked ,“What?  What’s the matter?”    
  
    “Where are my curtains?”  
  
    Porrim froze in horror.  “Wh… why do you ask?”  
  
    Mindfang started searching the room.  “If there’s one thing a thief knows, it’s when something is missing.”    
  
    The rapid scanning and fiercely unhappy look on Spinneret’s face made Porrim feel dizzy and frightened.  “Are they terribly valuable?”  
  
    “You could say that.  That royal blue fabric was made of a rare pigment created from an underwater plant.  Not a whole lot of folks have access to things underwater, if you catch my drift.  The black is common enough, but that blue…  I don’t suppose you know what happened to them, considering you’re the only one who’s been in this room?”  
  
    There was little Porrim could do but hang her head and make her way over to the chair.  Mindfang watched curiously as Porrim picked up a pile of blue and black fabric and, with shaking hands, gave it to her.  “I’m sorry…” was all she could find the voice to say.    
  
    Mindfang gave her a peculiar look.  “What the blue hell have you been up to since I left?”  As she took the fabric, Porrim returned to the chair and didn’t so much sit in it as fall down into it and bury her face in her hands.  Spinneret turned away from her and studied the folds of material she held; there were all kinds of stitches running through it, some in black, and some in silver.  “What exactly is this?”  
  
    “It’s for you,” Porrim said, lifting her head and all but whispering the words.    
  
    Mindfang could see that her lover’s eyes were wet with green.  Yet she was still completely baffled by what she had in her hands, so with a flourish she grabbed an edge and flipped it open.  At most she was expecting to see that maybe her curtains had some embroidery on them or perhaps a stylish hem.  She was not expecting to be holding a unique dress.    
  
    Spinneret studied the gown she was holding:  the blue was layered over the black, and the silver threads were made to look like spiders’ webs strung between the black roses that were scattered across the front.  The lower half circled only about three-quarters of the full skirt leaving it open in the front, with scalloped edges running down to an ankle length hem.   The inside of the back of the bell of the dress was black fabric with silver webs and small spiders running through it.  The back of the bodice was lace-up style with a silver band of fabric weaving through the holes made for it.  The way the satiny black and blue fabrics flowed together was unlike anything she’d ever seen before; it was beautiful and striking.  And it was hers; made for her by the hands of the woman sitting behind her using those same hands to hide her shame.   The sheer beauty of both the dress and the selflessness in which it had been created started to overwhelm her and she sank to her knees, clutching the garment tightly to her chest.  “Why… why did you do this?”  
  
    The nervousness that gripped Porrim had escalated to a level that made her nauseous and now she felt as though Spinneret was so disappointed in her that she would be returned to her cage for the rest of her days.  “I did it for you!” Porrim shouted.  “I did it because I wanted to show you how I feel about you!  This is one of the few ways I know how to do that; if I’d have known how expensive and rare those curtains were I would made use of something else, or tried to modify an existing dress if I could have found one or…”  She trailed off as she noticed Spinneret was still kneeling on the floor, but now shaking as well.   _Oh no… She’s furious. This isn’t what I thought would happen at all…_  She willed herself to stand up and slowly approached Mindfang, hoping she wouldn’t pass out on the way.  “Please understand it was never my intention to destroy something that meant so much to you…”  
  
    As Porrim drew nearer, she suddenly realized that Marquise Spinneret Mindfang was not shaking with rage… but sobbing.  It was as though her entire mindset was sent spinning off in another completely unexpected direction and she could barely keep her balance.    
  
    Spinneret was aware now that Porrim was standing over her, and she tried to turn her face away so that she wouldn’t see the blue-tinged tears rolling down her face.  “I… I don’t… deserve this…”  
  
    Porrim wasn’t quite sure how to take that.  “Um…  I am really sorry.  Please forgive me for wrecking something so valuable…”  
  
    In a flash, Spinneret grabbed her hand and looked up at her.  “Oh gods no… No, you don’t understand!  I’m the one who’s sorry…  and I can’t remember the last time I said that word.” She sniffed and wiped the back of her hand across her face, smearing it with blue.  “I honestly don’t deserve something like this.  I especially don’t deserve the love you give me.  I’m a horrible, horrible person, Porrim.  You really have no idea.”  
Porrim was still reeling from the sudden shifts in emotion that she’d experienced over the last few minutes, including this most recent one, and now she felt something in between relief and confusion.  She’d never seen Spinneret like this and was having a difficult time reconciling her current behaviour with what she knew of Mindfang.  “I don’t know what you mean.  I wanted you to have this because I do love you and I wanted to show you how much.  Of course you deserve it!”  
  
    Mindfang swallowed hard; the occasional sob still hitched in her breathing.  “No!  I don’t!  What you don’t understand is that no one… and I mean NO ONE… has ever done anything like this for me before.  No one has ever given me something so… so beautiful before!  At least, never of their own free will…”  
  
    As Spinneret slowly rose to her feet, using Porrim’s hand for support, Porrim tried to comprehend what she was talking about.  Together they sat down on the couch, Mindfang with the dress cradled to her with one hand, and Porrim’s own hand clenched in her other.  
  
    “You’ve mentioned ‘free will’ before; I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”  
There was a deep sigh from Mindfang as she cast her eyes downward.  “I think it’s time you really learned the truth about me.  It’s something very, very few know.  And when I’m done telling you about it, you may not like me very much anymore, much less love me.   If that’s the case, I’ll understand.  I don’t know what will happen, but I just can’t hide any part of me from you anymore.”  
  
    It was Porrim’s turn to take a full breath before speaking.  “Please…  go ahead.  I want to know everything about you… the places you go, the things you see and do.  I’m so curious about who you really are.”  
  
    Mindfang shook her head.  “Don’t be so willing to rush into such a dark place, love.”  She looked up to face Porrim and took in her pretty features, especially those kind eyes.  “You know that I’m a pirate; my profession is quite literally one of thieving.  I steal from those who have so much they wouldn’t notice if they were missing anything.  I keep my share… well, more than my share, usually, but those who work for me are well taken care of.  Some consider this a detestable occupation, no matter who is being stolen from, but it’s one that has enough adventure and risk to keep me interested.  I’m addicted to taking chances; it’s what makes me a Gamblignant.  All of this you already know, but what you don’t know is that I possess a special ability:  I can touch the minds of others.   Actually, touch is too mild a word… let’s just say I can manipulate the action.  If I reach deep down inside the mind of another, I can bend their will to my own purposes.  The amazing part is that they don’t even know I’m doing it.  It doesn’t work on everyone, however; I’ve never been able to use it successfully on someone higher on the bloodscale than myself.  It only seems to be useful on those lower than my blue blood… even those just slightly lower…”  
  
    Those last words hung in the air like a dark cloud for more than a few moments.  Porrim looked down at her lap and thought very hard before asking the question that was being invited; she suspected she already knew the answer but it had to be asked. “Have you used it on me?”  
  
    Mindfang closed her eyes and nodded slowly.  “Yes… but never fully since the night I gave you my sword!  I swear to you that I have not made you do anything whatsoever; everything from then on was of your own free will!”  
  
    Porrim’s lip trembled a little as she thought about a particular event not that long ago.  “What about the night he was here?   When he was… kissing you and I thought I heard your voice in my head, telling me that I had to hurry if I was going to help you.  What was that?”  
  
    “I spoke to you with it, yes.  It actually took a fair bit of effort to hold back enough to only speak to you without persuasion slipping in.  It was a huge gamble on my part to leave it up to you to act; I didn’t make you do it at all!”  
  
    “At least, not with the mind trick, you mean…”   Porrim stiffened a little and Mindfang detected it immediately.    
  
    “Don’t you understand why I needed that name from you?  Without it there was no way for us to be together!  I tried to get it from you every way I knew how without using my abilities because I wanted it to be freely given!  I can’t remember the last time I was able, much less willing, to try.  And that was because you’re special to me.  This is what I mean when I say I’m a detestable person: my crew knows what I’m capable of.  They serve me not just out of respect for my bravado and skill as a captain, but also out of fear that I can not only make them do what I want, but won’t hesitate to do so as a punishment.  I’m someone who doesn’t like hearing the word ‘no’!  The thing is, though, you’re different.  It would have felt hollow to make you do things against your will.”  
Porrim frowned.  “That’s just what I can’t seem to understand: why am I so different?  What was it about me that you found so interesting?”  
   
    Mindfang gave her a sympathetic look.  “When you were first here under Imperial interrogation, I oversaw what they did to you.  Most of it involved drugs and machines that were meant to pry as much information out of your head by force as they could.  You gave up your own name so easily, but the ones belonging to the others… they couldn’t get them.  You resisted the best that the Empire had to offer.  So, I was tapped to try and get it from you.  I feel sick about it now when I think about it…”  
  
    Again, Porrim tried to gather herself.  “What did you do?”  
  
    “I… well, first I went for the direct approach, but you wouldn’t give it up.  I tried having you do other things just to see if I COULD manipulate your mind…”  
  
    “Such as?”  Porrim’s hands were shaking now.  
  
    Mindfang looked away again, trying to think about how best to explain.  “You’re not the first person I’ve used my abilities on.  Many of the captives I’ve taken became… not lovers, but toys.  I’ve had all kinds of partners, sometimes many at once.”  She felt Porrim shake even harder, but gripped her hand tightly.  “But I didn’t do that to you!  I… may have had you undress for me… a couple of times… but mostly because I needed to see if I could wear down your defenses!  I was under pressure from the Imperial Navy to prove that my methods were feasible, so one night, a military entourage including one of the Admirals came to my hive and I showed him that I was able to control you to some degree.”  
  
    “That was the tall man who was here, wasn’t it?”  
  
    “Yes.  His name is Cronus Ampora.  He goes by the name Dualscar and he’s one of the highest ranking admirals in the fleet.  He’s a shellfish… sorry, I mean selfish man with strange tastes, but his battle tactics are exemplary.  You’d find some of his books on the shelf, but not in the section you were looking in, thankfully.”  
  
    Porrim tried to stop herself from smiling but failed miserably.  “What is your relationship with him?  What would have happened if I hadn’t given you what you wanted?”  
  
    Mindfang gave her a half grin.  “He’s my kismesis, and a hell of a dark one to have!  He hates the fact that a landborn is capable of giving him battle on his own turf and actually succeeding.  He still hasn’t figured out how I do it, but I did have an excellent teacher.  I’ve known him for some time; my activities vexed him for sweeps until he took an opportunity to get to know me personally.  Since then, he and I have enjoyed a most caliginous black relationship… until he decided to make it all muddy and drag red feelings into it.  He knows my weaknesses: he made me a wager that I couldn’t get the information he needed from you without using my powers, and I knew that since you and I were already building a relationship, that you would give it to me.  If you hadn’t, I would have had to give myself over to him and become his red mistress as well… probably would have ended up as little more than a concubine, honestly, but I never really had any red feelings of my own for him.  As I said, he’s interested only in himself and his own pleasures.  Since I know what they are, I use them to make his life miserable, as he did with mine.”  
  
    “So, what did you do to show him you could… manipulate me?” Porrim asked.  She was far from certain she wanted to hear the answer.  
  
    “Honestly, dear, nothing too terrible.  I had you come over to me and start unbuttoning my coat in front of him.  He loathed it; it was wonderful.  He so desperately wanted to see what colour your blood was, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.  When I felt your hands on my skin, I was pleasantly surprised; the temperature of your hands plus the fact that I felt I wasn’t entirely in control of you made me think that you might be a jadeblood… a beautiful jewel amongst the sea of red and orange that I usually find on the Imperial slaveboats.   Your resistance, your inner strength impressed me; I could feel your fear but also the steely resolve behind it.  I sensed you’d been through something traumatic and I made a point of trying to help you with dealing with it later on.  In the meantime, as you were running your hands up my sides, I went to talk to Cronus but he left in a huff.  I think it was then that I realized he was actually jealous of you, and that got me thinking that you were even more valuable than I could have imagined.”  
  
    Porrim sat quietly for a moment, then said “Is that all I was to you?  A lever to be used against your kismesis?  I’ve never really understood the point of that kind of romance, honestly.”  
  
    Spinneret gave her hand another squeeze.  “My sweet, you really didn’t understand the nuances of any romance until you met me, right?  On the night that you told me you were truly a virgin, it forced me to approach you in a different and more cautious way.  If I wanted to show you that you could trust me, I would need to slow down and ensure you understood that I meant you no harm.  Doing it this way was a new experience for me, and one that I enjoyed, even if it came with a fair modicum of pressure!”  
  
    “But what about the… well, taking away my window and my clothes, and then teasing me with your body?  I don’t think this is what happens in most red relationships, at least not the ones I’ve seen others in!”  
  
    “I will admit that my… approach may not have been a common one, but never doubt for a moment that what I was doing was motivated first and foremost by my feelings for you!  Some parts were a necessary evil, and some parts were a pleasure… for both of us, I hope.  On the night you put yourself into the restraints, my heart leapt with joy!  Your courage is so, so profound, Porrim… I have a deep well of it myself, but yours may even surpass it!”  Mindfang paused for a moment, looked over towards the bed and the cell that contained it and then met Porrim’s eyes.  “You know, I think we’re both learning as we go here.  I’ve never had a real red lover of my own before, either.  I barely even have anyone I call ‘friend’, actually.  Most of the people I associate with are under my employ with the inherent threat of outright control hanging over their heads.  
   
    “Anyway, if you’d had a chance to continue reading further into that book before I so rudely interrupted you, you would have seen some of the parts where things like restraints and teasing come into play and you could see why sometimes my views of lust and love overlap.  I’m just doing what comes naturally; I honestly don’t ever want to hurt you.  You really are unlike anyone I’ve ever met, and everything I do with you is to try and make things both safer and better for both of us.  But you needed to know about what happened before, and the ‘how’ and ‘why’… before someone else decides to tell you.  You needed to hear it from me.  I can only hope you’re still willing to even talk to me, quite honestly… I told you that I’m a dark and dangerous person; I’ve killed thousands.  THOUSANDS.  I should be more proud of that than I am, but really, what’s the point?  I feel better about what I do when I can set people free from a life of slavery or despair; there’s still plenty of adventure in that!  Maybe this is why I enjoy listening to you talk about the Signless’s message?  I find that after listening to you, I would rather free the oppressed if I could instead of oppressing others.  You inspire me so, Porrim; you’re truly beautiful and kind and I feel like I really don’t deserve you or your flushed leanings.”  She let go of Porrim’s hand and then held the handcrafted dress out in front of her.  “Or something as spectacular as this!”  
   
    While Mindfang marveled at the dress, Porrim took the chance to try and collect her thoughts; her emotions were completely unbalanced and she looked inside of herself, hoping to hear anything that would give her some direction.  To her dismay, those voices remained silent.   _I waited with bated breath for days for her to come home.  During those days, I created this dress out of love for her.  Now she’s home, and she loves it and says she loves me, and she’s opened up like never before… but in doing so she’s admitted that she’s used me for her own purposes.  However, that took place before she started making romantic overtures.  Is she telling the truth?  Can I really trust her?_  She remembered seeing those blue tears and suddenly her answer became obvious: _there’s no faking those.  Not from her.  She’s too proud; she would never cry in front of someone she didn’t truly love._  She found herself starting to find an emotional ground again and put her hand on Spinneret’s shoulder.  “Would you like to try it on?  I really want to see if it fits you!”  
   
    Spinneret turned to look at her, tossed the dress down beside her and grabbed Porrim in a fierce embrace, which Porrim returned.  They held each other for a long while, and as she finally broke away, she whispered “Thank you” in Porrim’s ear, which earned her a kiss on the cheek.    
  
    Mindfang doffed her jacket and started undoing her blouse as quickly as she could, and when she removed her skirt, Porrim couldn’t help but notice the pulse from somewhere down below which spoke to her of unfinished business.  “Should I take the boots off or leave them on?” she asked Porrim, who replied that while it should hopefully work either way, she would like to see if it was short enough without them on.   When Mindfang was down to nothing but her blue panties, she took the dress and stepped into it.  “The open part is to the front, right?”  Porrim nodded, and she continued to pull it up.  Once she had it at most of the way on, she asked, “Could I have your help tying up the back?”  
   
    Porrim was more than happy to oblige.  She took the two ends of the ribbon and gave them a gentle pull until the dress was lightly snug under Spinneret’s arms.  She then fixed the ribbon into a bow and stepped back for a look:  from behind, the bodice seemed to taper nicely around her and didn’t cut in under her arms at all.  The skirt looked like it was just long enough; _the hem’s maybe only an inch from the floor, which should still look all right with her boots on,_ she thought.  “That looks good… let’s see you turn around!”  
  
    There was some hesitation, which caused Porrim a fresh surge of worry, but after a few moments Spinneret turned to face her.  The silver threads in the dress sparkled under the light, and the blue and black shimmered like ocean waves under a full moon.  There were fresh tears in her eyes, which explained why she was slow in coming about and Porrim gave her a reassuring smile.  She wiped her cheeks again and asked “How… how do you even create something like this?  You made this entirely out of those curtains?”  
  
    “Well, not entirely…” Porrim flushed a bit; there was still a deep seated fear inside of her that Spinneret was going to be angry once she heard about how the silver for the thread accents and ribbon strips was obtained.  “I used your blue robe as a template for the upper body and just kind of improvised the lower half.  Once I had the curtains down, I made use of the feather pen you wrote the letter with to trace the back of the robe onto the fabric and then the scissors you gave me to cut it out.  I found the needle and thread in the medicine cabinet in your gaper room and it should be strong enough to hold the dress together no problem.  I really hope you don’t mind, but the silver threads and ribbons were taken from one set of your bedsheets; sorry about making a mess of your things…”  
  
    “Are you kidding me?  That’s… really impressive, actually.  You’re quite the resourceful one!”  Spinneret ran her hands over the flowers on the front and admired Porrim’s handiwork.    
  
    “I was thinking you might want to wear some petticoats under there, just to give the skirt itself some body, and… you know… just to cover up the front a little in case there’s not enough coverage.”    
  
    Mindfang gave her a sly smile.  “And what if I don’t want to cover anything up?”    
  
    Porrim chuckled softly.  “Well, I will admit that I styled it so that your legs would be accentuated by the design, with or without your boots, but I may have made the split in the front a little too high.”  
  
    “That, my love, is merely a matter of opinion.”  Spinneret grabbed the side of the skirt and gave it a flick to the side; much like she would do with her hair, Porrim thought as she was given an unobstructed view of Mindfang’s lacy underwear.  Even through the swirling haze of emotions she was dealing with while processing what Mindfang had just told her, the attraction was strong as it ever was; in some ways even more so now that she knew the truth.  There was something about her; her stance, her voice, her beauty outside or even that within which no one else seemed to see, that Porrim couldn’t say no to even if she wanted to.  By the time she had decided how she wanted to respond, Spinneret’s panties were already on the floor and her foot was up on the couch.  Porrim couldn’t tear her eyes away and the voice belonging to her libido spoke over the din inside her head to give her direction.  She walked over to Spinneret, slipped an arm around her and planted a hungry kiss on her lips, which was returned with fervour.  After a few moments, she slowly slipped to her knees and repeated the kiss again.    
  
    Mindfang closed her eyes and exhaled as she felt herself being taken into Porrim’s mouth; waves of pleasure tore down her spine, but they were interrupted by thoughts she hadn’t expected.  Wait… you’ve just told her about how you used to manipulate her, how you’ve used her… she just gave you the most amazing gift anyone’s ever given you, and now you’re just falling into your usual dominating role?  No… Maybe this isn’t how it should be right now.  ”Porrim… wait…”  
  
    Confused, Porrim stopped and looked up into Spinneret’s face.  “What’s wrong?”  
  
    “Come up here for a second… please.”  
  
    Porrim rose and gave Mindfang a questioning look.  “Was I not doing it right?”  
  
    “No, no… It felt wonderful, but…”  
  
    “But what?  Am I overdressed?”  Within a couple moments and two undone clasps, Porrim slipped out of her dress and then reached around Spinneret.  “Just so you know, there’s only once place better for this dress than on you…” she said, grasping the straps on the back and giving them a quick tug so the bow would undo, “and that’s off of you.”  
  
    Spinneret helped slide her arms out of the bodice and then watched Porrim lightly pull the skirt down to her ankles.  She was still trying to muster up the courage to ask what she wanted to, and now here she was, face to face with her would-be red lover, completely nude, and she needed to ask the most serious question she’d asked anyone in a long time.  As one more tear welled up in her left eye, she swallowed hard and asked, “Porrim… do you still love me?  Even after what I’ve told you?”    
  
    Porrim stood still where she was for awhile.  After a few moments, she looked back at Spinneret, took her hand and led her towards the bed.  Once they were there, Porrim sat down on it and picked up one of the restraints.  Before she could get it done up, she felt her arm being restrained by something else.  She saw Spinneret had her by the forearm and was preventing her from closing the shackle.    
  
    “No.  Not this time.  Not tonight,” Spinneret said, quietly.  Once Porrim let go of the shackle, she sat down beside her.  “I know what you were going to say: something about belonging to me.  Maybe that’s not what needs to be proven this time.  It certainly isn’t what I’m asking.  I guess I want to know if… well, after all that’s happened, after all I’ve put you through, after what I’ve told you about who I am and what I’ve done, can you still love someone like me?”  
  
    After a short time passed, Porrim put her hand over Spinneret’s and said, “You’ve given me more than you ever took away, and anything you took, you returned to me.  But what’s most important is that you returned.  As long as you are always returning to me, I will always be here for you.  I’ll love you when you’re gone, and I will love you even more when you’re here with me.”  She leaned in and kissed Spinneret and as she did, she felt a warm, wet streak slip quickly across her cheek which originated from the other’s strange and beautiful eye.  
  
    They held that kiss and each other for countless moments until Spinneret finally stopped for a moment and gave her a slight smile.  “Thank you… for believing in me.  So very few ever have.  You’ll never know how much it means to me.”  She slipped a hand from Porrim’s shoulder lightly down across her breast to her thigh.  “Now, as for not putting on the restraints tonight, I really don’t want you to.  It would be awfully difficult for you to show me what you learned from that book if your hands are both tied, no?”    
  
    Porrim couldn’t stop the smile.  “I suppose not!  I have to warn you, though: I didn’t get much of a chance to really study that book as much as I wanted to.  Someone kind of interrupted me…”  
  
    “Pssh!   You weren’t reading it anyway!  You were just looking at the pictures.”  
  
    “Doesn’t mean I wasn’t studying it…” said Porrim with a mocking pout in her voice.    
  
    Mindfang nodded.  “One handed studying.  I know all about it, dear.  Now, why don’t you tell me about what it was you wanted to try.  Or better yet, let your body do all the talking… actions speak so much louder than words.”  
  
    Spinneret lay back on the bed and pulled Porrim on top of her, who felt somewhat lost as to what to do first.  She placed her hands on Mindfang’s chest and started kissing her, relishing the feeling of the swelling and stiffening under her palms.  After a little while, she started pressing herself onto Spinneret’s thigh, who promptly spread hers to accommodate Porrim’s knee.    
  
    After a few minutes of this, Spinneret whispered into Porrim’s ear, “This is nice and all, but I have a suggestion: why don’t you try turning around?  I know that was in the book…”  
  
    Porrim thought for a moment.  “What do you mean?”  
  
    “Put your head down there and swing your legs over mine.  I’m used to being on top for this, but this is your show right now; go for it!”  
  
    She considered how best to do this and, with a few adjustments, found herself with Spinneret’s soft lips in her mouth again.  However, just as she was beginning to focus on how best to make use of her tongue, she was distracted by another tongue slipping between her own lips that ran all the way from nub to seedflap to nook and back again; she couldn’t help but stop what she was doing and enjoy the mind-blowing sensations.  She shivered and then said, “That was wonderful, but how am I supposed to focus on licking you with that going on?  Not that I’m complaining at all…”  
  
    “We just take turns, love.  You go ahead now and when you stop for a breath, I’ll make sure to be the one who takes your breath away!”  
  
    Porrim smiled at that, then replied, “Okay, let’s try that, then.”  She slid her fingers in between to make some space and began to sweep her tongue around Spinneret’s nub again.  She drank in the scents and tastes of their lovemaking and for a while, there was nothing else she could think of; only the back and forth exchange of their pleasures mattered.  She was the first to find her release and all she could do was almost go completely limp on top of her partner.  Once she regained her bearings, she redoubled her efforts until she heard Spinneret wail and watched her flood the sheets with blue.  Seeing her partner had been adequately pleasured, she rolled to the side and sat up on the edge of the bed to catch her breath.    
  
    She looked over her shoulder to check on Spinneret, only to find that her lover’s face and hair were covered in jade green, but she was still sporting a very contended smile.  “Oh, no!  I’m so sorry!  Let me get you a towel!”    
  
    Porrim leapt from the bed, grabbed a towel from under the ablution trap, and hurried back to give it to Mindfang, who was running her tongue across her lips and seemed quite nonplussed by the whole thing.  She pressed it into Spinneret’s hand, who then wiped her eyes and looked up at her.  “Betcha the book didn’t say anything about that, did it?”  Before Porrim could muster up another apology, she laughed kindly and sat up, then tried to wipe some of the green from her hair.  “It’s the one… drawback to that position, but it’s only a drawback if one chooses to see it that way,” she said as she drew a finger across her cheek and then slid it into her mouth, closed her eyes and slowly withdrew it, clean and wet.  Porrim’s initial unease at this suddenly evaporated in a primal pulse from deep inside and she was surprised at her own arousal.  “Tell you what, my sweet, how about you fire up that trap and let’s wash up?”    
  
    With a nod, Porrim set off to do just that.  As she slipped in and started washing her face, Spinneret walked over, plopped down onto the load gaper beside and relieved herself.  Porrim wasn’t quite sure what to make of it; she had become quite used to sharing close quarters with others during her time with her band of rebels and there were occasions where sometimes necessity trumped comfort or pride, but having Spinneret take care of such things only a couple of feet away was a little surprising.  After a moment’s consideration, she took it as a sign of her relaxed demeanour and that it wasn’t really such a bad thing.    
  
    Mindfang read her expression and shot her a knowing grin.  “I keep forgetting that this sort of thing is still new to you.  Don’t worry, love, it’s no big deal.  Just means I’m okay doing this around you.  Are we ever any more vulnerable than when we’re peeing?  I’m reasonably certain you’re not going to skewer me with your sword while I’m on the gaper, yes?”  Porrim couldn’t stifle a giggle at such a ridiculous thought, while Spinneret grabbed a wad of gaper paper and gave herself a perfunctory wipe before flushing and then climbing in with her.    
  
    Once she was soaking in the tub, Spinneret dunked her head under the water and started scrubbing away.  Porrim had already used a cloth to clean herself where she felt she most needed to, and so she watched Mindfang wash up and let herself relax in the warm water.  She almost nodded off when Spinneret asked her if she could have a look at her back.  Porrim turned around in the trap and let her examine the scratches.  “Looks like you’ve been putting the salve on,” said Spinneret, “they’re healing up quite nicely!”  She nodded and closed her eyes while the other spread a fresh coat into her itchy wounds.  “Here’s a question for you: would you ever consider getting a tattoo?  If these end up being fairly prominent, I’m sure some ink would be able to make it look like something else.”  
  
    Porrim considered this carefully; the idea of ever getting a tattoo had never crossed her mind even once in her life.  Oddly, the more she thought about it, the more it started to appeal to her.  “You know, that might not be a bad idea.  I rather like the way yours works, but I might do something a bit different.  In fact, it might not even be just the scratched area I’d get done.”  
  
    “Hey, slow down there!  Tattoos are not something to be rushed into!  They should be a special thing to mark something in your life.  When you get one, it’s for the rest of your life, and if you happen to have a long one, that makes it a very important choice!  You should think carefully about what you’d want!”  
  
    “I suppose so.  Yours seems just perfect for you.”  
  
    “I certainly think so, but I didn’t come up with it right away.  Let your imagination come up with something in its own; it’ll give you an answer when you least expect it!”  
  
    Porrim nodded.  “You’re probably right.  Besides, that would mean leaving here to get it done, anyway.”    
  
    That statement hung in the air for a while, until Mindfang decided to stand up and step out of the trap.  She took out two towels and invited Porrim to do the same before giving her one as well.  Once they dried off and had a bite to eat, the sun had risen.  Porrim stood by the window, drinking in the daylight, while Spinneret climbed into the bed’s freshly changed sheets.  “I’m glad to be home,” Spinneret said, trying to find a comfortable spot on the pillow.    
  
    “I’m glad you’re home!” echoed Porrim, as she turned from the window and started for the bed as well.  “I really was worried about you; I know what you do is dangerous, but also that you need to do it.  What happened out there?”  
  
    “Can I tell you about it tomorrow?  You tuckered me out, my sweet.  Besides, I’m emotionally drained… this has been quite the day!  You really have no idea how long it’s been since tears have fallen from these eyes.”  
  
    Porrim turned her covers down and got under them.  “You’re right, I don’t.  Would you tell me about it sometime?”  
  
    “All in good time, my dear.  If you want to play the Question Game tonight, how about you try something else?”  
  
    She rolled on to her side to face Spinneret and looked at her face for some time.  “Okay… do you remember when I asked you about what scared you the first time we kissed?  What was it that you were scared of?  You said to ask you again sometime, so how about now?”  
  
    Mindfang inhaled and closed her eyes for a while before exhaling.  “All right.  Actually, this might be as good a time as any, since I think you already know the answer!”  Porrim gave her a puzzled look, but waited patiently for her to continue.  “I’m not scared of a whole lot, as you can imagine.  Consider, however, what I knew and what you would come to know someday… which turned out to be today. I already knew then that I wanted to see if there could be a red relationship between us without any manipulation on my part, but it was also in the back of my head that when the time came to finally reveal my abilities and how they were used on you not terribly long ago, I was scared that you would recoil and want absolutely nothing to do with me anymore!  Quite frankly, that was actually what I expected would happen!  And then, you go and give me that gorgeous dress… I still can’t believe you just… made that…”  She paused for a moment and Porrim watched her try to compose herself.  “I had to finally lay it out for you, and I was so, so scared, Porrim… scared that you would just retreat and never speak to me again.  Considering what we’ve been through, losing you now would have been almost too much for me to bear.  So, the very fact that we’re laying here together makes me happier than you could possibly imagine.”  
  
    Porrim extended a hand and caressed Spinneret’s face gently.  “I will admit that I’m still trying to process it all, but I could tell that you were being completely honest with me when you told me about what had happened in the past.  As much as you’re ashamed of your tears, they revealed the truth of it all.”  Mindfang smiled and Porrim felt it under the palm of her hand.  “For the most part, I think you’ve actually been honest with me right from the start, but you just couldn’t reveal what it was you were actually up to.  I have to say I’m not sure how I feel about having my emotions tampered with either directly or indirectly… that is what you were inferring earlier, that you’ve actually suppressed some of my grief over the events surrounding the Signless?”  Spinneret gave a short nod.  “I’m not certain how good an idea that was; grief is a natural part of healing, and someday, I’m going to have to deal with it properly, which means I’m going to need your emotional support, not your ‘easy solution’ to the problem, okay?”  Another nod.  “But until that day, let’s just be up front with one another and see where things go from here.  Will that work for you?”    
  
    Spinneret reached up and took Porrim’s hand from her face, then brought it to her lips.  “It’ll work just fine.  I’ll try my best to support you in any way you need it.  Are you ready for a question now?”  Porrim nodded her assent.  “Once you asked me what it was that I saw in you that made me want to spare you from the nightmare that would have surely awaited you.  I turn that question to you: what do you see in me that allows you to love me?  I’m a thief, a murderer, a vicious pirate who takes what she wants.  How could someone as idealistic and loving as you want anything to do with someone of my ilk?”  
A silence as Porrim debated how best to answer the query.  “I’ve said before that you sure have a strange way of expressing love.  At least, it’s strange compared to what I expected it would be like, if I ever were to be lucky enough to experience it.  And speaking of that, you’ve got so much more experience than I do; sometimes I feel like such a silly schoolgrub around you, but I’m in awe of what you know.  I still can’t see what someone as worldly and capable would want with someone as backwards and… for lack of a better word, green as I.  And yet, you tell me about your exploits, in both senses of the word, and I both marvel and flinch at the same time.  But the fact that you’re willing to rescue those who were taken captive because their only crime consisted of daring to suggest that war is not the answer tells me that deep inside, you’re not an evil person.  In fact, your willingness to take only from those who have too much makes me think that you do have a strong set of morals.  Granted, they might not be the most selfless…”  
  
    Mindfang gave her a devious grin at this.    
  
    “But still, I can see inside of you the person you want to be, and how you want all the things you are to be eclipsed by all the things you want to be.   Kan… I mean, the Signless would have thought you to be a great ally to have; your skills and abilities are so far beyond what most are capable of.  If you were willing to put them to use to spread the word and rescue those who have been unjustly captured and sold into slavery, he would have called you friend and I think his approval of you would have made you even more beautiful to me.  I was alone for a very long time, and I don’t mean alone in the sense of lacking people around me.  You know that I never made time for love, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t feel lonely inside.  And now here you are, and it seems to me that you’re like that, too; you have those who work for you, and those who have… shared your bed, but deep down, you still feel alone.  You and I are more alike than different, even though you have everything and I have nothing… nothing but you.  And that’s enough for me.”  
  
    Spinneret brought her hand back to her face and wiped at her yellow and blue eyes before the trickle of fluid could build up enough to overflow and run down her face.  “You really are a rare creature, you know; you can see the beauty in everyone, can’t you?”  
  
    “Well… that fellow who decided to take a piece out of my hide isn’t high on my list of people I’d like to see again.”  
  
    “I can understand why!  Believe it or not, he’s not such a bad guy.  Just a bit of a boor, perhaps, but brilliant.  Too bad he’s so full of himself; there’s bravado and then there’s him.  Quite honestly, he’s painfully jealous of our red relationship, even though he and I already have a black one.”  
  
    Porrim remembered feeling the gouge being made in her back and shuddered, but she oddly felt a twinge of guilt as though she were responsible for their falling out.    
“Would it help if I were to talk to him?  I really hate to see a disagreement overflow into something so black if it doesn’t need to be…”  
  
    Spinneret laughed.  “My dear, sweet Porrim!  Are you trying to auspistice for us?  That’s adorable, but not necessary.  No, we’re in full fledged caliginous blackness.  I must admit, though, that I’m not too impressed with his treatment of you.  Sometimes he can be overbearing and forget that it’s the rivalry that makes blackrom exciting, not outright hurting their partner or the ones they care about… but I won’t hear another word about him tonight.  The only one that matters to me is you.”  She leaned in and gave Porrim a kiss and then proceeded to sweep her fingers through her hair.  “Would you mind if I asked you another question?  You can ask me one after, too, if you want.”  
  
    “Sure.  Why not?”  She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Spinneret’s fingernails lightly brushing her scalp and her horns.  
   
    “If I asked you now, would you tell me the Signless’s name?”  Mindfang saw Porrim’s eyes widen as the import of the question and an unquestionable feeling of déjà vu passed over her.  “Don’t worry, love, I’m not going to press you for this.  Now that there’s nothing in the way between us, I just wonder if you trust me enough to tell me.  I will keep it to myself, have no fear.”  
  
    Porrim took awhile before she answered; she kept looking away from Spinneret, and then back at her again, as though gauging whether she should reveal it or not.  The events of the day settled into her head and she remembered the amount of trust that was placed in her lap not all that long ago, and so she made her decision.  “His name was Kankri.  Kankri Vantas.  He was very young and his blood was a mutant strain I had never seen before: it was a strange red, quite bright.  No lusus would have taken him, and that’s why I chose to leave the Mother Grub’s caves: to raise him as my own.”    
  
    Mindfang’s eyes widened upon hearing this; it was almost unheard of for a troll to directly raise a grub like that.    
  
    “There were a lot of hard nights and days, let me tell you, but raise him I did.  He was such a handful, but he had the purest heart I’d ever seen.  All he would ever talk about was how he didn’t understand why the colour of our blood should make us different.  He grew up outside of mainstream troll society, so he wasn’t tainted by the idea of bloodcaste; at least, not until he got older and we returned to live amongst the others again.  When he saw the inequality in action, he resolved to try and bring the idea that it was wrong and unnecessary to anyone who would listen.  I warned him it would be a dangerous process, but he genuinely believed that deep inside, there was more good in us as a race than bad and just maybe there could be a future where we could all coexist without undue expectations put upon us.  Needless to say, look where it got us… where it got him.  Our only hope now is that the message carries on and doesn’t die out after the Condesce made an example of him.  Or maybe the hope is that others can try and carry it for him?”  She looked at Spinneret and hoped that maybe some of this was reaching her; she could see that it was a sympathetic ear, at least.    
  
    Mindfang’s hand moved to stroke Porrim’s cheek now that she had finished speaking.  “Thank you for trusting me with that, love.  I could see how difficult it was to do it, but I promised you I would keep his name secret and so I shall.  I will do what I can to try and spread the word of his message to anyone who will listen, but I must be careful in doing so.  These are dangerous times and caution must be part of our approach.  Dualscar has mobilized much of the Condesce’s forces in our area in the search for anyone with a seditious attitude and loose lips to toss into the holding pens.  I’m not entirely sure if the plan is to create a slave work force or simply to eradicate any opposing viewpoints, but either way, it’s just wrong.  Let’s do what we can when we can do it; will that work for you, my sweet?”    
  
    Porrim closed her eyes and nodded slowly as she enjoyed the heat from Spinneret’s hand on her face.   “It will have to, for now.  Do I still get to ask you another question?”  
  
    “Indeed you may!  I’m always curious what you have in mind.”  
  
    With her eyes once again open, she looked right at Spinneret and asked, “Will you still be here with me in this bed when I wake up this time?”  
  
    Mindfang sighed deeply.  “My sweet, nothing will take me away from you.  Even if I have to run to tend to an emergency, I will wake you to let you know, but it would take something catastrophic before I would leave your side this day.  Yes, I will still be here with you when you wake up.  I swear it.”  She leaned in to give Porrim another kiss, and added, “Does that answer your question well enough?”    
  
    “Mm-hmm.  I think so.”  She pulled herself in closer to Spinneret and rested her head up against her chest; Spinneret draped her arm over her in return.  Porrim took in her scents and the sound of her breathing and relaxed.  She was able to whisper “I love you” before sleep took her into its embrace as well.    
  
    Spinneret remained awake a little while longer, the night’s events swirling through her mind, but before long, she said, “I love you, too.  Thank you for loving me,” before she joined Porrim in silent slumber.

 

 

 

    When Porrim came to she blinked a couple of times and tried to take in where she was: a field of grey and silver filled her vision.  She pulled back slightly and remembered that she had fallen asleep with her face buried in Spinneret’s chest, and that was exactly where she woke up.  The other’s arm was still slung over her shoulder, and she sighed contentedly as she nuzzled up against her.  Spinneret shifted slightly when she did so, and smacked her lips before saying something Porrim couldn’t quite make out.  “Did you say something?  I didn’t catch it…”  
  
    “Araneaaaaaaaa…”  
  
    Porrim was puzzled as to what to say about this.  After a few moments, she quietly said, “Um, maybe you’re dreaming or something, but that’s not my name…”  
  
    Mindfang shifted a bit and then opened her eyes to look at her.  “Of course not, silly… it’s mine.”    
  
    Upon hearing this, Porrim was wide awake.  “Wait, what?  Your name?”  
  
    “Yep.  I was going to tell you last night, but you drifted off before I could.  My name is Aranea.  Aranea Serket.  I’m just guessing here, but I’d wager that about as many people know it as would have known the Signless’s.”  
  
    Porrim raised her eyebrows at this.  “It’s beautiful… and it really suits you.  Why would you hide such a lovely name?”  
  
    “Well, considering what I do, it’s better to carry a pseudonym than make it easy for Imperial forces to track me.  They don’t even have my real name on record anymore… actually, they kinda do now, but that’s beside the point.  What I’m trying to say is that it’s for more or less the same reason you went by Dolorosa: it’s smart to shield your true self from a world that would make short work of it.  Besides, I rather like my Mindfang persona; she lets me be the proud pirate that I always wanted to be!  But Aranea, my first name, belongs to only the fewest of the few: me and those closest to me that I share it with.  Dualscar doesn’t even know it… yet.”    
  
    “Okay.  So, what should I call you then?”  
  
    “When there’s anyone else around, Spinneret is just fine, but when it’s only you and me, Aranea is good.  In fact, I’m going to have to get used to hearing someone call me that again, but I’m actually looking forward to hearing it from your lips!”    
  
    Porrim propped herself up on her elbow.  “All right, then.  Aranea…  It’s pretty.”  
  
    “I’m certainly glad you think so.  I didn’t choose it, my lusus did.  That being said, she did inspire the name Spinneret Mindfang, and I got to pick that one.  Maybe it’s why I prefer it…”  
  
    “Well, whatever you want to be called, I’m just glad you’re still here with me.”  Porrim leaned in and kissed her and Aranea returned it vigourously; perhaps a touch too much so.  “Ow!  You and those fangs!”  
  
    “Sorry, love.  Spider bites.  Sometimes I can’t help it.”    
  
    Porrim checked her lip for blood.  Finding none this time she gave Aranea a resigned look with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, which made the other laugh, and then started making her way towards the load gaper.  For a moment, she considered going to the more private one across the room, but then thought _what’s the point in that?  She’s obviously comfortable with using it in front of me, and I do really have to go!_  With the decision to go ahead made, she continued across the room until she heard Aranea ask, “Porrim, my love?”  
  
    “Yes?”  She looked back over her shoulder towards the bed.  
  
    “Has anyone ever told you that you have a choice ass?”  
  
    Porrim put her hand to her face and started laughing, even though she was a bit self-conscious of her state of complete undress.  “Where do you come up with this stuff?  No, no one has ever told me that before!”  
  
    “Hm.  Then it pleases me to be the first!  Carry on!”  
  
    She was still laughing by the time she was done what she needed to do.  As soon as she finished, she automatically turned on the water for the ablution trap.  “Didn’t we just do that before we went to bed, dear?” asked Aranea.  “I know you’ve become kind of a clean freak, but Jegus, I had no idea how much of one!”  
  
    Porrim’s face blushed a bit.  “Sorry.  Force of habit.”  
  
    “Well, don’t shut it off on my account!  I’m going to hit the gaper myself, and then how about we make use of that trap?  I mean, really, those hips of yours are sure speaking to me this evening!”  Porrim’s hand flew back to her face immediately.  “No, seriously!  Not only do you have a choice ass, but those hips… I wish I had hips like yours.  Such wonderful curves… it’s a wonder all the girls in the Mother Grub’s cave weren’t all over you!  Surely you must have had a little fun there, no?”  
  
    “Sorry to wreck your fantasies about that, but no, you really were my first!  Although, in retrospect, being around only women my first couple of decades of life may explain my preference for the female form.  And there’s nothing wrong with your hips or bottom, either!”    
  
    By this time, Aranea had made her way out of bed and was heading for the gaper.  As Porrim bent over to check the temperature of the water, she gave her a playful squeeze of her rear and said, “See?  Choice ass.”  
  
    Porrim gave a quick yelp of surprise, and then regarded Aranea through squinted eyes.  “You… my poor backside!”  
  
    Aranea plunked herself down on the gaper and raised an eyebrow at Porrim.  “Okay, that does it!  Into the water with you!  As soon as I’m done here, we’re going to cure you of that.”    
  
    As soon as she stepped into the bath, Porrim sat down and enjoyed the rush of warmth over her skin.  “Cure me of what?  Being dirty?  It’s not like we have any sopor slime on us.”  
  
    A flush and then Aranea was in the trap with her.  “No, no… Quite the opposite!  You’re not dirty enough!”  She took a sponge, soaped it up, and then plunged it under the water to clean herself up.  Porrim regarded her warily, but also with some excitement.  “There!  Now, consider this your first lesson in how to talk to someone you want to get with.  You see this?” she asked, turning around and raising her backside out of the water.  
  
    “How could I not?”  
  
    “Good.  That, my love, is not my ‘bottom’ or my ‘backside’.  That is my ass, and you’re absolutely correct, it’s pretty damn fine.  In fact, what I want you to do is tell me you’re going to smack my ass, and then, get this, I want you to actually smack it.  Can you do that?”  
  
    Porrim was laughing so hard, she could barely breathe.  “What?  Are you serious?”  
  
    “I couldn’t possibly be more serious if I tried.  Tell me you want to smack that ass and then smack it.  Easy as falling down.  Have at it.”  Aranea wiggled her hips invitingly.  
  
    _I can’t believe I’m doing this… and yet, how many times have I thought that in the last weeks?_  She had to admit, though, she wanted it and having Aranea wave her backside… no, wait, her ass, in her face was almost more than she could take.  “Okay, fine.  I’m going to smack that ass!”  She put her hand on it with a wet slap… but Aranea was evidently unimpressed.    
  
    “Wait… I thought you said you were going to smack my ass, not shooshpap it and make it feel better about whatever bad thing it just did.  It’s firm and round and beautiful, and I want you to fucking SMACK IT!”  
  
    Porrim wound up and let fly with her open hand and Aranea couldn’t hold back an involuntary grunt as the loud smack reverberated through the room.  She watched as a dark blue copy of her handprint started to appear on Aranea’s rump.  “Oh!  Oh, I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean to bruise you!”  
  
    Aranea turned her head back over her left shoulder.  “Pssh.  You didn’t bruise me, love; that will barely leave a mark.  Certainly nothing permanent.  It did, however, feel pretty damn good.  Know what else would feel pretty damn good?  You putting fingers in there.”  
  
    She wasn’t entirely sure what Aranea was getting at but she had a pretty fair idea.  “Where, exactly?”  
  
    “Anywhere you can put them.  I want you to fill me up inside.  Just start by getting them good and wet, and then slide them into me.”  She put one hand on the edge of the trap to brace herself, and the other on her backside to hold it open.    
  
    If Porrim’s libido had retreated momentarily at her concern over possibly hurting Aranea with her slap, it returned in a hurry at this uninhibited display.  She got both of her hands wet and placed fingers on the outside of both seedflap and nook.  She began gently rubbing and Aranea began to press back on them until both slid into their respective places.   As Aranea pushed her hips even further back to take Porrim’s fingers deeper into herself, she inhaled sharply and began to softly moan.  Since her own hands were already occupied, Porrim needed to find an outlet for her own burgeoning arousal, so she tried squeezing her thighs together; it provided some stimulation but it wasn’t even close to what she wanted to do to her poor, aching nub.  After a minute of this, Aranea panted, “Mmmm… try and put another one in the flap, love.  Can you get your tongue on my nub, too?  I’ll give you plenty of warning to move… don’t worry…  just get those fucking fingers working!”  Porrim did as she was told and found she was getting lots of pleasure in the act of gratifying her partner; she continued working and curling her fingers inside of Aranea, and she squeezed down on them in return.  Aranea had both hands now firmly grabbing onto the lip of the ablution trap for balance by this point and was full on bracing herself as she tipped her hips in time with the movement of Porrim’s digits.    
  
    It didn’t take long before Aranea called out “you… are gonna wanna… get outta the way… keep your fingers going… but better… move your face…”  Porrim tried what she thought was the best course of action: she braced her shoulder against the side of the trap and slowly stood up, keeping her fingers right where they belonged in the process.  Aranea took her left hand from the ledge and began rapidly flicking her nub; before long, she released both a high-pitched noise and a wet blue flow that covered Porrim’s hands.    
  
    As Aranea fell forward in her post-orgasmic afterglow, Porrim’s fingers came free from her hindquarters.  Her first instinct was to dunk them into the water right away, but a memory from the night before got her thinking about trying something.  She dipped her nookstuck right hand into the water to wash it, but before she did the same with her blue-drenched left one, she decided to indulge her curiousity and snuck a quick taste of Aranea’s emanation.  There was no need for a “bluh”; it was just a slightly stronger version of what her seedflap always tasted like: somewhat peculiar but not unpleasant… almost sweet.  She continued to look at her hand and was contemplating another sample when Aranea, who was watching her out of the corner of her unique eye, asked, “So, how do I taste?  Would I go better with loaf?”  
  
    Of all the times that Porrim had blushed since she arrived in this place, they were nothing compared to the heat that flooded her face at that very moment.  She quickly plunged her left hand into the water and scrubbed it furiously.  “It’s… um… what?  Oh… I… sorry… just… wanted… well… maybe… you know… ”  
  
    Aranea laughed, but not unkindly, at Porrim’s reaction.  “Oh, my… I have got a LOT of work to do with you yet, don’t I?  Sweetheart, you came all over my face last night and I had absolutely no problem with it.  In case you’re wondering, you taste wonderful.  Now, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are in need of a serious mauling yourself?”    
  
    Porrim nodded excitedly.  “Actually… I was kind of hoping you could do something to me like what I just did to you…”  
  
    “Not only can I do that, my dear, but I plan to take it a step further!  Now bring that choice ass and those ridiculous hips over here and bend over!”    
  
    “Well, when you put it that way, how could I possibly resist?”    
  
    Aranea guided her over to the edge of the ablution trap and then ran both of her hands down Porrim’s back (carefully dodging her healing scratches) until both of her hands were resting on her ample bottom.  “Now, you see, that’s a sense of humour I can appreciate.”  She began to gently squeeze on both sides and gently pull them apart to make Porrim’s lips come open slightly with each movement; the moan of pleasure it generated told her it was having the desired effect.  She dipped her hands into the water and started to massage Porrim in the same way she had done to her, but instead of sitting down into the water, Aranea leaned forward so that her mouth was right beside Porrim’s right ear.  “Hey, I bet you’d love nothing more than one of these fingers slipping inside you right now… am I right?”  
  
    “Mm-hmm…” was the only response Porrim could muster, and then she felt the tip of Aranea’s finger slide into her, and then slowly all the way back out. This happened a few more times, and each time the finger was withdrawn, it pushed slightly along the front of her space inside and she felt something deep within shudder with a primal pleasure.    
  
    “Yeah, I thought so.  You see, I know where all the best spots are, and I might just show you where they allllllll are… maybe.”  Aranea took her right hand away from where it was stroking Porrim’s nether regions and moved it up to cup one of her breasts and gave it a solid squeeze, which caused her to cry out.  “Weren’t expecting that, were you?  It’s almost like I have eight hands, isn’t it?  All of them touching and stroking and probing… they all want to be in you, Porrim…”  With that, Aranea slid her left thumb into her nook, and her eyes widened as she inhaled sharply.  “Well, aren’t you a naughty one!  How’d that get in there?  Sometimes the best places are the ones you might not expect to be so!  Why don’t you show me if you liiiiiiiike it… push yourself on to my hand, love… I want you to fuck my fingers.  Take me inside of you…”  
  
    Porrim did just that and her lip began to tremble.  “So… ohhhh… mmm…”  
  
    “What’s the matter, my dear?  Spider got your tongue?  Well, maybe not your tongue, but she’s got everything else, doesn’t she?”  Aranea moved her hand from Porrim’s chest to her right horn and began stroking it up and down; the result was full body shivering.  “Who knew that was going to feel so good?  I’ll tell you: I did.  That’s why I’m doing it.  And maybe you’ll like this, too…”  She kissed Porrim’s ear, and then took it into her mouth and began to suck on it.  Porrim’s shivers became more intense and her fingers grabbed onto the side of the trap so hard, she thought they would leave dents.  A couple of light bites on her ear and she couldn’t repress a squeal of delight.  “Don’t worry, I won’t bite this too hard… but I will tease the ever-loving fuck out of it…” The bites became flicks of the tongue and Porrim gasped; she continued to push her hips back and forth on Aranea’s fingers and thumb, relishing the sensation of having something deep inside of her.  “That’s right…  push that gorgeous ass of yours onto my thumb… make my fingers reach all the way inside of you…”  
  
    Aranea’s talking was intensifying her sense of needing to release, far more so than she ever thought possible.  Porrim could feel a swelling inside and began to thrust her hips even harder.  Language was completely beyond her ability at this point; she just closed her eyes and listened…  
  
    “I feel you getting ready… I know it’s close; I can tell.  I want you to let it all go, Porrim… I want you to turn this water green… I want you to fill this trap like it was a bucket… come for me, love… just flood this place… come all over me… I want you to…”    
  
    Hearing this encouragement was more than enough to send her into waves of ecstasy; a couple of hard spasms later, Porrim felt an unstoppable surge rush through her.  Aranea slid her fingers out just before a jade green wave poured from where they were and all over her legs.  Porrim slumped over the edge of the trap, panting; this time her climax felt like it came from somewhere so far inside that she couldn’t even imagine where it would have originated.  It was different; fulfilling but still different somehow.  
   
    She had no idea how much time had passed, but Aranea was at her ear again: “That was wonderful, my sweet.  So, so wonderful.  But if I’m not mistaken, something’s not quite the way you expected, is it?  I’ve got the answer, if you want to hear it… or maybe you’d rather just feel it?”  Porrim thought had no idea what she meant, but in a way she did; her nub didn’t receive very much stimulation in all of that activity, and she still felt a strong, throbbing pulse from it.  Moments after she came to this realization, she almost collapsed as Aranea wrapped her lips around it and began sucking lightly.  “Easy, love… Keep your balance.  Now I’ll bring you the rest of the way home…”  
  
    Porrim felt Aranea’s tongue slide from her nub up and down and in and out of all of the places fingers and thumb had just occupied and all she could think of between shocks of wonder was _I guess she mustn’t mind how I taste after all…_  Soon, that tongue came to rest squarely on her insistent green nub and as Aranea’s lips caressed it, she felt the pulses she had come to know as ultimate pleasure envelope her psyche and her legs shook as a few minutes later, she was taken careening over the edge for a second time.  She sang out and pushed back against Aranea’s face as her orgasm tore through her; a second but lesser release accompanied it, but her mind was so far away into the void that she couldn’t have given a warning even if she wanted to.    
  
    She felt Aranea let go of her and she slumped to her knees in the trap; she banged her breasts against the edge as she did so, but it barely even registered in her mind.  She could hear her lover washing up behind her, but it sounded a million miles away.  Porrim could actually see stars in her eyes; flashes of light randomly sparkled through her field of vision and every breath made them dance.  She attempted to speak and all that issued forth from her was the word “How…”  
  
    “What’s that, love?  Sounds like you remembered how to talk!  I was a little bit concerned you might have lost the ability; wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened to someone!”  
  
    Porrim swallowed to clear her throat and tried again.  “How… do you know how to do what you do?  That… was indescribable.  It felt like you were… completely inside me… wearing my skin.  How?”  She was still facing away from Aranea, who couldn’t see the tears streaming down her face.    
  
    Aranea moved up alongside of her, noticed she was crying, and placed a hand on her cheek.  “I’ve had some practice, my sweet, but what if it was all for this moment?  All the people I’ve been with, all the experience I’ve gained, was for the purpose of learning how to love my truest love?  What if it was all for you?  What if that’s all that matters?”    
  
    This made Porrim sob even harder.  “I don’t really know if I deserve that.  I’m nobody special…”  
  
    “You’re special to me, love!  That’s all that matters!  I sure don’t deserve a beautiful dress like the one you made me, but you did it anyway!  That came from some kind of genuine love I’ve never seen before… maybe this is the best way I know how to show you my love for you?”  She helped Porrim to her feet and they stepped out of the ablution trap together.  Aranea grabbed a towel and started to dry her off.  “Some may argue that physical love is fleeting; the pleasures associated are short lived and impermanent, but that kind of pleasure can leave a mark deeper than any scar.  These are the bonds between people that keep them together: it strengthens relationships in ways no words can describe.”  She wrapped the towel around her body, again taking care not to press on her wounds.  “’I’ve only really known that kind of association between sex and love once… maybe I’ve spent my whole life since trying to recreate that?  And now, turns out the first time I’ve stopped trying to do so, I’ve finally found it!  Love can’t be forced…”  She thought about Cronus and his advances; there was more than a few similarities to his approach to her and her own approach to others; the only difference was instead of using his fame and power to get gratification, she used her natural psychic abilities.   _It certainly didn’t make it any more genuine, did it,_ she thought to herself.    
  
    As Porrim took the towel into her hands, Aranea picked up one of her own and began wiping the moisture from her skin.  Porrim reflected on where she was and who she was with as she dried her eyes.  “If that’s the case, how did you know I would come to love you?  Don’t you think you took an awfully big chance?”  
  
    “Think?  I know I did!  So much of what I do revolves around chance, and yet, luck tends to favour me and in ways I never would have suspected.  And yet, it keeps coming back to the first time I laid eyes on you: something just told me that there was a reason I needed you with me.  The luck that brought you and me together in the same place is the same luck that allowed us to move beyond anything like master and slave or jailor and prisoner.  We’ve broken through all of that, and it’s everything I hoped it would be… perhaps even more.”  She embraced Porrim and planted a long, slow kiss on her, which was returned with equal emotion.    
  
    When they finally broke away, Porrim placed her head on Aranea’s chest and her arms around her waist.  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re amazing?”  
  
    Aranea took a moment to reply.  “Honestly?  No.”    
  
    Porrim looked up to her face.  “Okay.  You’re amazing.”    
  
    “If you say so, my sweet.  You’re not half bad yourself!”  
  
    She nuzzled Aranea’s shoulder.  “I had a good teacher.  So what do we do now?”  
  
    “How do you mean?  Like, right now?”  
  
    “Yeah.  I mean, our clothes are all over the place from last night!”  
  
    “Well, that’s easy!” Aranea said, taking Porrim’s hand and leading her out of her bedroom.  “Today is officially a No Clothes Day.  I’m going to pick up your lovely dress and mine, of course, but they shall not be worn!”  
  
    Porrim was a little surprised.  “Well… okay, but why not?”  
  
    Aranea gave her a wide smile.  “Who wants clothes in the way in case the mood moves us to enjoy each other’s company again, yes?  And I think the odds of that happening are going to be considerably higher if I have an unobstructed view of that choice ass of yours!”  A playful swat on said part of Porrim’s anatomy swiftly followed.    
  
    “That’s all well and good,” Porrim said, chuckling about Aranea’s teasing, “but I don’t suppose there’s going to be a chance to have something to eat in between these moods you’re talking about?”  
  
    Aranea had stopped to pick up their dresses as she planned.  “Where do you think we’re going, dear?  Not that I’m complaining, but if I don’t get something to eat other than your flap, I’m going to start gnawing on my own arm!  You don’t want to have me running around with only one arm, do you?”    
  
    Porrim gave her a funny look.  “Of course not!  I wouldn’t want you to be defenceless against me doing this!” and she gave Aranea another smack on the rear and made a run for the kitchen.  

  
“Oh, that’s it!  You don’t know what you’re getting into, missy… get oooooooover here!”    
  
  
  
  
  
    They spent the next two nights together unclothed, uninhibited and uninterrupted, save for the occasional droid bringing in fresh towels or food.  They looked at books, especially ones from a particular part of Aranea’s library, which led to attempts to recreate what they found in the pages.  Most worked well, but as Porrim expected, there were a few that were solely the domain of those who were less pointy of horn and didn’t seem to be a good idea for her or Aranea to attempt, lest someone require stitching up.  Drinks were had, music was played and pleasure was inflicted in earnest.  Conversations about many places and things happened; harrowing tales were told and heard.    
  
    As the sun set on their third night, once she had cleaned up, Aranea picked up her overcoat to take a look at her commpad.  “Oh, bloody hells… this isn’t good.”  
  
    Porrim was still sleepy but came around at the sound of her lover’s displeased tone.  “What’s the matter?”  
  
    Aranea sighed.  “The crew of the battleship we picked up has found themselves in a bit of a bind: they’ve got a small armada bearing down on them and they need support.  Looks like duty calls, my love.”    
  
    As she propped herself up on her elbow, Porrim asked, “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”  
  
    “Tough to say… this could be another clumsy feint by Dualscar to pry me away from you, or it’s a legitimate attack disguised as a clumsy feint in order to try and get me to lower my guard.  It’s difficult to tell with him, and when it comes to naval combat, underestimating his capabilities would be folly.”  She started dressing; her clothes had since been laundered and returned by the droids.  “It’s a good thing I have these droids.  My room would be a complete disaster without them!”    
  
    “Hey, that reminds me… do I get to check out your room this time?”  
  
    Aranea clenched her teeth and thought for a moment.  “Maybe it’s best that you don’t.  I still don’t know what is going on here, and I don’t want to see you hurt.  Once I get a better idea as to the nature of this assault, I can contact you and we can go from there.”  As Aranea donned her overcoat, she started to think of herself as Spinneret again; the persona wasn’t anywhere as easy to remove as the jacket, but she had to admit she enjoyed not having to wear either for a few days.  She was a little surprised at the silence from the bed area, and turned to look at Porrim, who had her arms crossed and was looking out the window at the last rays of the sun.    
  
    “Hey, what’s the matter, my sweet?” she asked as she sat down beside Porrim on the bed.  “I’m sorry I have to go, but I will be back!  Nothing this silly is going to cause me any harm, I’m sure.”  
  
    “It’s not that,” replied Porrim.  She turned her gaze to Aranea ( _Spinneret when she’s dressed like this,_ she reminded herself) and bit her lip.    
  
    Mindfang wasn’t quite sure what to say.  “Um… then, what?”  
  
    “Am I ever going to get out of this room?  I mean, it’s a wonderful place and we’ve had a great time here the last couple of nights, but for someone who wants to be with me and says she loves me, I’m starting to wonder if there’s any chance that you might let me experience your life as a whole!  I mean, look: there’s still bars around my bed!  And I’m not allowed to exit this room?  In a way, isn’t it still a prison, then?”  
  
    “Well… that’s not what this is about.  What if Dualscar has spies in here?  I can’t have you vulnerable in case he’s up to something.”  
  
    Porrim gave her an incredulous look.  “Seriously?  You think that he could have spies in here?  This is YOUR hive!”  
  
    “There are things you don’t entirely understand, Porrim…”  
  
    “Like why I’m confined to a single room when I’m your partner?  Something just doesn’t add up here.”  
  
    “It’s not like that!” argued Mindfang.  “This is for your own good.”  
  
    “Yeah.  Sure.  I’ve heard that before.  Listen, you are amazing and wonderful, but there’s something I need to know: are you ashamed of me?”  
  
    It was Spinneret’s turn to offer a confused expression.  “What?  What are you talking about, love?”  
  
    Porrim gathered her thoughts, and then sat up.  She pulled the silvery sheet up over her knees and continued.  “If you won’t even let me walk around in your own home, what makes me think you’re going to let me go anywhere with you?  I’m still technically a prisoner where the Condesce is concerned, am I not?  Did you not say you bought me from Dualscar?  Doesn’t that carry the expectation that I would remain forever your slave until the rest of my days?  What would anyone say if they saw you and me together in town… wherever the nearest one is; I have no idea.  We could be in the middle of the Capital for all I know!  Anyway, would they just have us arrested?  It sounds like you carry some kind of favour with Imperial forces, at least when they’re not trying to shoot holes in your ships!  Maybe I don’t understand!  What I know I don’t understand, as funny as that sounds, is where we can go from here in this red relationship you keep talking about if I can’t ever go anywhere!  I want to be with you!  I want to see the places you go and the things you see!  But how am I ever supposed to be a part of your life when I’m kept cooped up in a cage like an animal?”  
  
    Spinneret stopped for a moment to attach her sword to her belt and consider her reply.  “Is that really how you feel about this?  I’ve just spent two of the most beautiful days I’ve ever known here with you.  In fact, any time that I’ve been with you has been nothing but a joy to me…”  
  
    “Even the ones where you messed with my head?  Or tormented me?”  
  
    “Porrim!  I’m hurt!  I thought we came to an understanding about that?”  
  
    “You’re right… it’s just… how are we ever supposed to truly be together if I’m forever a captive?  How serious are you about us?”  
  
    Spinneret looked down at her red boots for a moment, then back to the woman in the bed.  “Serious?  You want to know how serious I am about this?  How about you reach under your pillow and take out that earring!”  
  
    Porrim did just that; she enjoyed the familiar shapes and crevices as she ran her fingers over the golden jewelry.  “This piece of you has been what kept me sane during some dark hours without you, you know.”  
  
    “Of course I know!  I gave it to you!  That’s what it was for: so that you’d always have me near you, no matter what happened!  Isn’t that enough?”  
  
    She hung her head.  “It was… but now that I’ve had a wonderful taste of the real thing, I just don’t want to let it go!  I don’t just want something to remind me of you, Aranea… Spinneret… whatever you want me to call you right now… I want YOU!  Always!  I want an US.  Is that even possible?”  
  
    Mindfang sighed.  “So do I!  More than you know!  I just can’t… risk you right now!  Things are still too dangerous for you to be out!”  
  
    Porrim scowled.  “I’m a big girl, you know.  I’m pretty capable of taking care of myself.”  
  
    “Damn it, Porrim, that’s not what I’m talking about… Grr… Okay, look, I have to go.  They’re waiting for me downstairs.  When I get back…”  
  
    “IF you get back…”  
  
    “WHEN I get back, we can assess the situation and see where things are going, okay?”  She marched up to the bed and stroked Porrim’s cheek before leaning in for a kiss, which was returned, but with less enthusiasm than Spinneret had hoped for.    
“Please come back…” asked Porrim.  “I don’t think I could live without you now… and yet, I don’t think I can live locked up like this, either!”    
  
    “I will come back.  This I swear to you.  Will that make you feel better?”  
  
    Porrim bit her lower lip.  “If that’s all you can give me, then I’ll take it.”  
  
    Mindfang made her way towards the hallway door.  “Okay, then.  I will return to you soon, I swear it.  I love you!”  
  
    The expression on Porrim’s stricken face was heartbreaking to Aranea.  “I love you, too.  I’ll be here waiting.  Where else would I be?”  
  
    Spinneret closed her eyes, shook her head and turned to go.  As Porrim heard the door close, she put her forehead to her knees and exhaled.  She felt sick to her stomach and wanted nothing more than to crawl under the covers and stay there the rest of the night.   _This isn’t how I wanted it to be… but will it be this way every time she leaves?  Or will it be this way, stuck in this room, for the rest of my days?  I’m not sure I can handle this._    
  
    One of the voices she hadn’t heard from in some time made itself known.   _You mean you can handle being subjected to something just short of torture but you can’t handle the idea that she won’t let you out of here?  She’s trying to protect you, to make sure you’re safe in her absence!_  
   
    _Maybe,_ she replied to herself, _I just can’t handle the idea of either her not coming back or of her not truly letting me in to her life.  Either one is just too terrible to bear…_  
  
    Porrim lay back down, pulled the covers over her head, and hoped she could find the courage she needed to get through the next few nights with her sanity intact.    
  
  
  
  
    As Mindfang closed the door, it was all she could do to stop herself from charging back in and staying, even though she knew that she simply couldn’t.   _I swear, if this is one of Dualscar’s ridiculous attempts to mess with my life, I’ll punch holes in every single boat he’s got.  This is where I want to be, she’s who I want to be with, and now she’s wondering whether or not I’m serious about it._  She stormed downstairs to her dock access; her ship, the _Fool’s Gam8it,_ was hidden in a cave in the cliffs under her hive, and saw the crew was ready to make way.   _Let’s get this over with,_ she fumed, _the last thing I need is for my love to be tainted by such foolishness._    
  
    She found herself so exhilarated with red emotions that there was little time to devote to caliginous feelings, but as she boarded the ship, she was still wracked with thoughts of what damage her black lover could do, be it either in person or by pulling her away at the most inopportune times.   _Maybe Porrim is right: my hive should be secure, but I can’t trust anyone._  Spinneret thought about her confession of sorts and how it should help in case Cronus actually tried to drive Porrim away with the gory details of the early days of her confinement, but she still couldn’t help but worry about her lover’s safety.   _Is my love a liability?  How long can it keep on like this?  She’ll turn against me if I don’t give her the freedom she deserves, but will I be able to protect her from afar?  Will my enemies use her as a weapon against me?_    
  
    As she slumped into her captain’s chair, she exhaled sharply.   _I’d forgotten how complicated red romance can be, it seems. Once again, I may have to accelerate the process if possible… before it’s too late..._


	12. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Admiral Ampora learns the fate of his latest assault on Mindfang's Gamblignant fleet. Dualscar reminds the Marquise of his intent to inform Porrim of what she did to the slave girl upon acquiring her. Mindfang makes a decision to embark on the greatest gamble of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit of a bridge to the major events that will follow in the next three chapters. I don't want to say too much, but as you can tell, wheels are already in motion by this point. Hopefully you're still enjoying this tale! It's going to get... intense from her on in. 
> 
> Thanks to Mercale for her editing skills once again! Do check out her latest chapters to "Lives Under the Pink Moon" story, "Doomed To Dream" if you haven't already! She is a talented worldbuilder and is doing wonderful work with the trolls. Her pale quadrant depictions are particularly excellent.

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**12.**  
  
    Three nights  had passed since the 2nd Fleet was dispatched to recover the lost battleship, and Admiral Ampora had heard nothing from them in over a day... until now.  He had sent one of the Brigadier Admirals to head up the operation in person and made it clear that he was the only one allowed to communicate with him directly.  Security was paramount; the person behind the pirate activities was far more cunning than anyone else gave her credit for being  and the only way he could be sure that his communications were not compromised was to be in contact with the flagship commander alone.    
  
    “What the hell happened to you, Admiral?” he shouted, “I don’t like being kept waiting under these circumstances!”  Dualscar scanned the screen: the bridge of the battleship appeared to be running normally and the more junior flag officer appeared as he should...  _Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_  
  
    “Sorry, sir,” came the reply, “We... had to regroup, but everything is fine now.”  
  
    “Really.  So, what actually happened?”  
  
    The other paused for a moment before replying.  “I shouldn’t talk about it openly.  I’m going to the ready room and I’ll tell you there on a secure channel.  I will send you the frequency and the password via Flashbug Code right away.”  
  
    “Flashbug Code?  No ways like the old ways, hmm?  Very well, transmit and I’ll take it in my office.”   
  
    As Dualscar sat down in his secure room, the apprehensive feeling started to wane somewhat.  It’s always nice to see something classic and familiar like this.   _Now I remember why we promoted the guy; only a true seadweller would know to use this.  Let’s see what he has to say..._   He turned on his monitor and watched as a series of yellow flashes appeared on the screen.  The series of long flashes and short flashes began to convert to symbols, and from those symbols he was able to decipher a message.    _I may be a touch rusty on this, but let’s see how it goes:  Frequency 612.0 ... password is... C... R... O... O... O... O... O... shit..._  
  
    His hand met his forehead with a hollow slap.  He sighed and let his shoulders slump.   _You have GOT to be kidding me... no need to decipher the rest._    He waited until the message was complete, and then entered the frequency and password into the computer.  A face that filled him with the most violently mixed emotions greeted him shortly afterwards.  
  
    “Why, Cronus?  What was the point of this?” Mindfang asked.    
  
    Ampora chose to go on the offensive.  “I can’t very well have a band of Gamblignants running amok with an Imperial battleship without providing some kind of response now, can I ?  I don’t think you’re in any position to possibly offer up complaints about our attempts to retrieve what is rightfully ours.”   
  
    “I know WHY, I just need to know why right NOW?”  She crossed her arms and gave him a stern glare.    
  
    Dualscar raised an eyebrow.  “Really, Marquise?  Getting a touch paranoid these days, hmmm?  Be assured, the last thing I care about is interfering with the love affair your have with your furniture.”   
  
    Mindfang scowled.  “I don’t believe that for a second.  You seem to think that messing with my personal red business somehow equates to blackrom and I’m trying to make you understand that isn’t the case.”    
  
    “No, I understand just fine.  Doesn’t it seem just the littlest bit preposterous that your precious kitchen table would have anything whatsoever to do with our trying to take back naval property from a dangerous rogue faction?” He left that to hang in the air for a moment before continuing.  “I mean, listen to yourself.  Is she all you think about anymore?  You’re losing your edge, Mindfang.”   
  
    Spinneret tried to suppress a laugh and failed miserably.  “Losing my edge?  Okay, guess what: you sank my battleship.  Oh, wait... let me rephrase that: I actually sank YOUR battleship; the one I took first, that is.  All that was on board was a skeleton crew.  When your cruisers and destroyers pulled up alongside to board it, I armed the self destruct and wiped out about eighty percent of your little fleet at once.  My ships were able to take this flagship in lieu plus a couple of others.  Fair trade, don’t you think?”  
  
    As a fresh wave of ebon rage roared  through Ampora’s mind, he remembered why he put up with her in the first place, but also began to consider that maybe she needed a much more serious reminder of who was still in charge.  “Nice to know you were willing to give up members of your crew so willingly.  I’m sure they went to their doom happily and of their own free will, hm?”  
  
    “Oh, spare me your feeble attempts at a guilt trip.  You were obviously willing to do the same.  That’s what military types sign up for in the first place, no?  And I’m pretty sure you have your own effective methods of motivating them.”   
  
    “The only thing that motivates you right now is protecting your plaything.  So long as I hold the trump card of filling her in on your charming methods of persuasion, I have a means of getting you to stand down.  So either you knock off the theft of Imperial battleships or I’m going to make sure your little greenblooded lover finds out how you used to parade her around like a wind-up toy.”  
  
    Mindfang rolled her eyes.  “Pay close attention, because I’m only going to say this once:   I already told her everything!  There is nothing you can say to her that she doesn’t already know.  So, there goes your silly ‘trump card’.  Stay the hell out of my hive  and let us alone.”  
  
    He watched  her face closely, looking for any telltale sign that she wasn’t being truthful.  “You’re bluffing,” he started, “There is no possible way that she would so much as even speak to you if you filled her in on your mental manipulations!  Face facts:  if you don’t want me to end your red fling with the truth about you, stop stealing capital ships!  Next thing I know, you’ll be trying to pilfer spacecraft if I don’t stop you!”   
  
    She raised an eyebrow.  “Hey, who the hell do you think I am?  If I wanted one, I could have one, but I really don’t want one... yet .  You and I are about the sea, Cronus.  You were born to it, but I’ve made it my milieu as well.  If you can’t handle someone giving you a bloody sniffnode on your own surf , then maybe you should slip back underwater and let those who know what they’re doing take the helm.  You know, for a seadweller, you sure don’t spend a whole lot of time in the water...”  
  
    “YOU SHUT YOUR DIRTY MOUTH, LANDDWELLER!!”  Dualscar was absolutely seething at her barb and struggled mightily to regain control.  “You know that I am your superior in all things nautical!  I LET you get away with an awful lot because I... I...”  
  
    Mindfang gave him a satisfied smirk.   “Because you still have it red for me.  I know, Cronus, I know.  You’re jealous and it kills you to see me with someone else.  Please... for the good of our kismesissitude, you need to let it go already!  I can tell you’re coming after us because of it, and it’s really weakened you.  Your tactics have been sloppy as of late and quite frankly, it’s disappointing.  I know you’re capable of so, so much better. You don’t think the Condesce isn’t going to notice these losses?  Trust me, she’s pretty hands-on when it comes to what’s hers ; you should know this by now... or at least, you should be finding out pretty soon, I suspect, since it was you who brought her the name she needed so badly.  Why don’t you just focus on that and leave me and my red lover alone?  I could never want for another black lover; you’ve been one of the best I could hope for, but this jealousy is making you clumsy.  You need to put your anger aside before it ruins everything.”  
  
    Ampora continued to seethe but said nothing for a few moments while he formulated a reply.  She had him pegged; his emotions were getting in the way of his work, but deep inside, he still hoped to find a way to convince her that her simple slave wasn’t worthy of her affections and that he was naturally her best choice.   “Maybe this anger is because you haven’t truly understood what it is you’ve done.  There is no way you can carry on in a relationship with a slave.  You have spurned someone who has it all for someone who has nothing.  Tell me this makes any sense.”  
  
    “Love doesn’t always make sense, Cronus.”  
  
    “But think about it!  Never mind me, how are you going to be able to go anywhere with her?  Her face was up on ‘wanted’ posters for ages!  When she was captured, there was a massive public display.  Do you think for a moment that you’ll be able to just flit around town with her?  Blueblood or not, you’re going to attract a lot of attention, and it won’t be the kind you’d like, either!”   
  
    Mindfang dismissed this with a wave of her hand.  “Since when have I cared about who I have or haven’t been seen with?  I’m a borderline criminal in the eyes of most anyway, regardless of whether you sic the fleet on me or not.  And it’s not like I need to be seen in certain company.  I know that sort of thing is important to you and your social circles, but that’s not what I’m about.  I take what I need and try to live comfortably and out of sight.  That’s what I mean: you don’t get it.  I can’t live that life with you, Cronus; I’m not some bauble to be trotted out in front of the high and mighty and then kept away in a box until you have need for my services again.”  
  
    “Isn’t that what you’re asking her to do, hmmmm?”  
  
    Spinneret considered this carefully.  “It’s different.  I don’t show her off to people... anymore...”  
  
    “It’s the idea of keeping her tucked away at your will that seems to be the sticking point.  Either you’re going to have to set her free and let her find her way back to where she came from, or you’ll have to make her a part of your crew and absorb all of the risks that you do.  Ask the filthy lowbloods that were in your employ that are sinking down to visit ‘Dafyyd Jonses’ Locker’ right now about that risk.  I’m sure they’ll find some rest in the belly of the Condesce’s beast soon enough.  I wonder if it’s ever tasted jade blood before?  They don’t tend to visit the seaside terribly often...”  
  
    “Don’t even go there.  That’s for me and me alone to decide!”  
  
    He shook his head.  “You should hear yourself now.  Don’t you think she should get a say in this?  Or is she really just furniture?”  He allowed himself a chuckle while she took a turn in fighting her anger down, then kept at her.  “You don’t have to go through all of this.  It’s not like she’s your matesprit or anything!   Do the right thing for once: set her free and let me show you what you’re missing out on!  If you don’t, I will have to force your hand...”  
  
    Spinneret gave him a fierce stare.  “Either those ridiculous fins mess with your hearing or maybe you just weren’t paying attention last time we talked.  I’ll repeat this very slowly so that you get it this time:  Stay... the hell... away... from... my hive.  If I find you in it, or find that you have been anywhere near it, you will wish that you hadn’t even met me.   I promise you that.  Do you understand me, or shall I spell it out in Flashbug Code for you?”   
  
    “No need to be so hostile, Marquise.  I’m merely trying to help you solve your problems.”  
  
    “There’s no problem here, and I don’t need your help.  You’ve got enough problems of your own and I’m one of them.   Cross me at your own peril, Cronus.  Unlike many, I don’t fear you.”   
  
    Dualscar grinned broadly.  “And that’s why I like you so much, right there.  Just remember, whatever happens next, it’s because I care for you.”  
  
    “If you care for me, do it darkly.  My heart belongs to another.  Don’t bother her.  She knows everything she needs to.  If you try to fill her in, you will be grossly disappointed... and then it will go downhill from there, I swear it.” Mindfang stabbed the End Comm button before he had a chance to respond, and slumped down into her chair.  The tension in her shoulders multiplied tenfold and the hope she’d carried about resolving the risk to Porrim faded rather quickly.  She buried her face in her hands and tried desperately to come up with a plan that didn’t involve a massive risk to either her or her lover, physically or emotionally.  None was forthcoming... at first.    
  
    She recalled something Cronus said and a crazy idea occurred to her, but one that carried a massive risk to herself, far beyond anything she’d dared to do up until now where Porrim was concerned.   _It will quite literally make us... or break us apart... but what choice do I have?_  
    
    With some effort, she rose from her chair and made her way out onto the bridge.  “Helm, set course for Base 2, but rendezvous with the  _Fool’s Gam8it_  first; I need to get home immediately.  Once I’m aboard, deploy the scrambler and make for shore as quickly as you can.”  Her command was acknowledged and she headed for the deck to await the arrival of her own ship.  The cool breeze caressed her troubled face and she hoped the familiar tang of it might bring her an answer, but she knew the only way to get it would be to ask a question... one she both looked forward to hearing the answer to with the most electric anticipation and the deepest dread at the same time.     
  
  
  
  
    Ampora was about to make another chiding remark but it died in his throat as Mindfang cut off the signal.   _Well.  How about that.  Looks to me like Miss Marquise still has something to hide._    He opened up a new channel and entered the password.  A “standby” code was received from the other end, and a few moments later, the face of someone in a cook’s garb appeared. “Sorry for the delay, sir; I had to find a place to step away to.”  
  
    “Well, listen up: today’s the day you get your assignment.  She’ll likely be home quite shortly.  I need you to get outside and plant a tracker on her personal vehicle before she arrives.  The button on your right sleeve contains one.  Toss it in under the seat or something but make sure you turn it on first by pressing down in the middle; it will vibrate once.  Got it?”  
  
    “Yes, sir!”  
  
    “Good.  Out.”  He closed the channel and reclined in his comfortable chair.   _There’s still hope,_  he thought.   _After all that’s happened, there’s still hope._


	13. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Porrim's self-questioning leads her to the breaking point, but it is a question from Mindfang that changes everything between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To say more than the above in the Summary would be to cheat you out of the pleasure of finding out for yourself, Dear Reader, and I would never be able to live with myself if I did that to you. This is a special and beautiful part of the story and, honestly, if you walked away at the end of this chapter, you'd have yourself a happy ending. But we, as Homestuck fans, know what awaits. For now, take this one in and I sincerely hope you enjoy it in every way you wish to.
> 
> Thanks to Michaela (http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercale/pseuds/Mercale) for her editing prowess. Stop by her Profile for some tremendous HS fic. She's just full of ideas. The "Doomed To Dream" storyline is really reaching a most intriguing phase...

**13.**  
  
    Three nights had passed since her lover departed and Porrim had spent her waking hours of each of them conducting her circuits around the bed.  The entire room was still open to her, but aside from leaving her sleeping area to find food, she found that her old routine was soothing and gave her a clearer head to focus on her convoluted thoughts.  While the voices had been absent earlier they had now returned in full force...  
  
    _This IS what you always wanted, isn’t it?  She was so genuinely moved by your gift that she was reduced to tears.  Her love is genuine; it just seems that it’s her job that’s unorthodox._  
  
    _There’s a liar in your head and a thief upon your bed. Open your eyes before it’s too late and get out of here before she gets back!_  
  
    _NEVER!  She’s given me so much.  She didn’t want to leave this time!  It was plain to see that it tears her apart inside as much as it does me!_  
   
    _Is this your future, then?  You’re no further ahead now than you were when you arrived!  So the cage is just a little bit bigger now; it’s still a cage and you’re still trapped here!  She’s using sex as a lever to keep you complacent!  Has she ever been serious about it?  Have you talked about buckets?  You’re just a living, breathing toy to her._  
   
    _Not at all.  She’s shared more with me than maybe anyone else she’s ever known.  The spark we have is more than lust, it’s love.  I’m sure of it... surer than I’ve been of anything else.  We just need to make sure we’re secure before I can go places with her._  
   
    She paced faster and faster.  Her fingers moved the earring she held in her hand without even thinking; it flipped and twirled and she relished the feeling of it.    
  
    _Great.  Going places?  Like where?  The middle of the ocean so that you can both be killed by mortar fire?  Brilliant.  The sea is no place for someone like you!  You learned that firsthand!_  
  
    _Anywhere with her is a place worth going!  She knows what she’s doing; she’s always come back... always returned to me.  And she always will._  
   
    _Oh, really.  Listen to yourself.  She’s got you so wrapped around her finger someone would mistake you for jewelry.  This is someone who’s known for webs of deceit and lies; what if this whole thing is just another elaborate sham?_  
  
    _Her tears were REAL.  That ends any chance that she’s being deceptive.  But what I’m worried most about it whether it’s going to be this way for the rest of our lives..._  
  
    _What?  Being cooped up in this room?  Yes, I certainly would be worried about that!_  
  
    _No!  The worry of whether or not something will go horribly wrong when she’s gone.  She always wants to come back, but what if her luck finally runs out someday?  Is the power of love worth the pain of loss?_  
  
    Porrim threw herself onto the bed and screamed into her pillow.  All she wanted was a moment’s peace from her own racing mind.  Is this what being in love is really about?  She thought about those that she knew had been through it, most particularly her adopted son and Meulin Leijon.  She remembered the horror she felt when she saw what became of the Signless, but started to realize that no matter how devastating it was to her, it must have been ten times worse for the poor girl.   _That was her matesprit, her one love; it’s a different kind of love, far beyond anything even he and I shared, and I raised him!_  
   
    She rolled over and stared up at the ceiling.  Tears pooled in the crinkle of skin at the sides of the eyes and spilled down into her hair and onto the pillow.   _You have to accept the risk that you could lose her at any time; the very nature of truly living life is to risk ending it.  Sometimes it happens prematurely, but we have to make the most of the time that we’re here.  We have no idea what comes next... or even what came before us?_  
   
    She sat up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked through the window at the starry night.   _All I know is that I want to share in her life, and I can’t do that from this room.  Either I’m going to insist that she let me in once and for all or... or... or I don’t know what!_  That feeling of helplessness was almost as awful to Porrim as her heartsickness.  She put her head in her hands and tried to figure out just what it was she’d say next time that door opened.  
  
  
  
  
    On the other side of the door, Mindfang was breathing deeply and slowly, building her courage.  She was wearing the blue dress Porrim crafted for her from nothing more than the materials she found in that room; the droids had retrieved it and placed it in her room after her departure.  Once again, she found herself marvelling at the craftsmanship.   _This was borne of love, nothing less than that.  The one who loves you is on the other side of the door, and you’re about to find out just how much she does love you.  Are you prepared to watch her walk away?  That is a very real possibility... all that you’ve gambled on her could be lost with this one roll of the dice.  Or..._ she fingered the fringe on the front of the dress as she hiked it up on her chest, _she will always stay with me._    
  
    Spinneret couldn’t remember the last time she had so much riding on one gamble, aside from the one she had with Ampora over whether or not she would give herself to him.  Even then, she knew that somehow she would succeed; her luck would not fail her.  However, she couldn’t quite feel how this was going to turn out; her palms were slick and her mouth dry.   _The outcome here is far from certain... but it is rather exhilarating._  She inhaled fully and then let the breath leak out through pursed lips.   _No time like the present... here goes nothing..._  She reached for the door handle and swung it open.  
  
  
  
  
    Porrim heard the door open and she started to her feet.  She saw that Spinneret was not only alive and well, but dressed in the rich blue dress made by her own hands.   _I need to push that pride aside for a moment,_ she thought, steeling herself for what she felt she had to say.  As Mindfang watched, Porrim strode out of the bed area and turned to face her.  “Listen, there’s something I really need to talk with you about...” she started.    
  
    “Super,” said Spinneret as she grabbed Porrim’s wrist and gently pulled her forward.  “You can tell me outside.”    
  
    The words that Porrim had prepared to say evaporated in an instant as she was lead first to the precipice of the doorway and then suddenly beyond it and into the hallway.  Spinneret was leading her forward at a fair pace but not roughly.  She looked around: all that she saw was the pale blue walls, a door at the end of the hall identical to hers and a staircase at the end.  As they approached the second door, Mindfang said, “That’s my room in there.  I’ll show it to you later, if you like.”    
  
    Before she could answer, Porrim was on a spiral staircase, descending into a great room.  She took in many different shades of blue: the walls, the carpet, the furniture; each was a different degree of that one colour.  It wasn’t just the blueness of everything that struck her: the space was filled with artwork, sculptures and hand crafted treasures the likes of which she had never seen.  One appeared to be her symbol carved from a pale blue wood.  “What... is all of this?”    
  
    Mindfang shook her head impatiently.  “It’s just stuff.  Really, that’s all it is.  Come on!”  
  
    Porrim noticed that the staircase they were on continued further down into what she believed to be a basement, but they exited into the great room and started for a door that lead to the outside.  She looked to the right and could see what appeared to be a kitchen.  There were a couple of people at work in it and she could smell the sweet tang of some exotic spice being used.  She barely had a moment to take all of it in before she was greeted by a cool rush of air and the smell of cooking was quickly replaced by something that was so familiar but something that she had all but forgotten: the scent of fresh air.    
  
    The air had a salty element to it, but there was little of the stench of pollution associated with a large city.  It was damp, but not too cold out; there was little wind to speak of.  As they wound down a path, she realized they were making their way through a small garden and out into a flat area where the stone walkways split and led off in different directions.  The sky above was perfectly clear and there were thousands and thousands of stars; Porrim remembered nights when she and her friends used them to find their way across the land and she couldn’t stop a smile of wonder as she swivelled her head to view them all.  She recalled how Mituna Captor was a gifted navigator and a good friend; for a moment, she wondered where he was now... she couldn’t imagine it was a place at all like this.  
  
    They stopped where the paths diverged.  Porrim followed one to the left with her eyes and could see the glow of city lights in the far distance.  There was a red vehicle parked beside the path; Porrim didn’t know much about those kinds of hovervehicles but she could tell that it was a rare and fast model.  She turned to see where the right path led: it wound between a couple of hills and up the side of the taller one.  As for as she could tell, they were isolated, far from whatever passed for civilization these days; she tried to figure out if this was a good thing or not.  She wasn’t given much time to think about it before she realized that Spinneret had one of her hands in both of hers and was squeezing it tightly.    
  
    Mindfang brought Porrim’s hand to her lips and kissed her fingers gently.  “I know you said you had something you wanted to say, but before you say anything at all, I need you to listen first.  Porrim Maryam, you mean the world to me: this world or any other world you could think of.  I don’t know what it was about you that caught my eye that day, but I’m forever grateful that it did.  Even in the face of the many difficult nights and days, you showed courage and strength that even I could scarcely imagine.  You trusted me even though few others would have, and most amazingly, you show me love while the rest of the world shows me disdain and fear.”  She stopped for a moment to consider what to say next.  “I don’t often say these words, but I’m sorry... sorry for having to put you through what I did and sorry for leaving you stuck in that room for so, so long.  Keeping something as beautiful as you hidden from the world like that wasn’t right, and now you’re finally free of it.  In fact, my love, you are free of everything.”  
  
    Porrim gave her a curious look. “What do you mean?  I’m not sure I understand...”  
  
    Spinneret gestured to the left path.  “You’re free to go.  All you have to do is walk that way, climb into that cherry vehicle at the end of the path and set your course for wherever feels right.  There’s enough caegars in the dashboard storage to get you anywhere you need to go, as well as a change of clothes and some false identification to get you past any nosy soldiers.  I haven’t the slightest idea where the Mother Grub’s caves are, but if that’s where you want to go, then go.”  
  
    Despite her best efforts to hide it, Porrim was completely shocked by this.  “But... what about you?  What about... well, us?”  
  
    “That’s up to you,” Spinneret replied.  “I’m going to go stand on this other path and wait for you to make your decision.  But before I do...”  She tried hard to keep the shaking out of her voice and wasn’t terribly successful.  “I know it’s hard to believe that I don’t have a ring of any kind on me, but I came straight here so... I want you to be my matesprit, Porrim.  I need you by my side, no matter what happens.  My life is a dangerous one, and you need to know and understand this:  it’s a choice that you have to make yourself!  It’s not an easy existence, but it can be an exciting and, shall we say, rewarding one!  What’s important, though, is that I get to spend it with you!  At least, I will if that’s what you choose to do.   Your optimism and grace are what give me hope for this planet: if you stick to those principles and carry the Signless’s message, maybe we can deliver it across the oceans and start being the change that your adopted son believed could happen!  I have everything I could possibly want material-wise; what I need is a purpose... and your love.  I love you, Porrim; I think of you every moment that I’m away and I can’t leave you behind like this anymore, but after all that’s happened, if there’s somewhere else you need to be, I’m not going to stand in your way.”    
  
    She leaned forward and placed a kiss on Porrim’s lips and then released her hand and withdrew.  Mindfang spun on the heel of her boot; the hem of the dress rippled as she did so and she took a few short paces, then stopped on the path with her back to Porrim.  It was there that she waited.    
  
    The waiting was absolutely excruciating for Aranea.  She hung her head and chewed her lip while she expected to hear the sound of the vehicle’s engine start up.  Instead, after what felt like an eternity to her but was only mere moments to Porrim, she felt arms encircle her waist and a head come to rest on her shoulder.  “How many times must I tell you before you finally believe me?  I belong to you now. I go where you do.  This is all I’ve wanted since you showed me how to love and be loved.  I can only imagine where we will go next.  And it’s so wonderful to be back outside again..."  
   
    Spinneret turned her body within Porrim’s embrace and kissed her fiercely.  The tension of the moment poured out of her in that kiss and she felt as though they were both floating through that sky full of stars.  When she next opened her eyes, she gazed into Porrim’s beautiful face and watched as she wiped a small trickle of green from her lip.  
  
    “I do love you so,” Porrim whispered, “but you really need to watch those fangs of yours...”   She followed that with a slight chuckle so that Spinneret would know it wasn’t that big a deal.  “So, where does this path lead to, anyway?”  
  
    Spinneret broke the embrace, turned and grabbed Porrim’s hand again.  She led her down the stone path towards the shore and the hills.  After a while, they started making their way up the incline to the top of the tallest hill.  As they made the summit, Porrim took in the view:  the wide ocean as far as she could see in one direction, and behind her, the hills carried on towards the bright lights on the horizon.  Above her, the night sky twinkled and danced.  She sat down in the soft grass and Aranea lay down in it beside her.  The first fingers of red were peeking up over the water.  Porrim looked over to Aranea and said, “The sun is coming up soon.  Are you sure you want to be out here?”  
  
    Aranea gestured for her to lie down beside her.  “I actually want to watch the sun rise with you.  Maybe I’ll finally understand what it is about it that you find so fascinating?”  Once she and Porrim were face to face again, eyes closed and lips met.    
After a minute or two of this, Porrim pulled back and said, “It’s going to be awfully hard to see it if we’re so busy kissing, you realize...”  
  
    Mindfang gave her an arched eyebrow and an inviting smile.  “Sun’s not up yet, is it?”  They pulled each other closer again and passed the time in each others’ arms.  Not another word was spoken until the red sun began to surface where the sea and the sky met, and even then, neither one would dare to break the silence; they could barely break away from each other long enough to breathe as it was.    
  
    As the sky began to brighten, Porrim felt a hand make its way up her thigh and she moved her leg over slightly to accommodate it.  She answered with wandering fingers of her own, and was quietly thankful that the dress she designed permitted such unfettered access to Aranea’s most intimate places.   Just as she began to caress those soft and warm parts of her lover, Spinneret suddenly pulled her hand back and said, “This is wonderful, but I think we should take this inside... I have an idea.”    
  
    Porrim had a hard time forcing herself to stop, but soon Aranea was on her feet and offered a hand to help her up.  As they walked back to the hive, hand in hand, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sun on her face.  She noticed Aranea had her free hand in front of her face to shield herself from it, but Porrim understood that she was in the minority of her race who actively took pleasure in the harsh light from the star that Alternia orbited and she didn’t begrudge Spinneret for not appreciating it the same way she did.    
  
    Once inside, Aranea led her back up the same stairs they came down and when they arrived at the top, she paused at the door of her room.  “I need to get something from here; you’re welcome to have a look inside.  I don’t think we should spend the day here as it’s kind of a mess, but you’ll get to see plenty of it soon enough!”  As the door opened, a light came on and Porrim took in Aranea’s sanctum.  It was as she described: a mess.  There were clothes here and there, books strewn about, various items scattered haphazardly across the floor.  “I warned you...” she said and left Porrim for a moment to retrieve something from under her bed.    
  
    The bed itself was quite large and ornate, but the sheets were rumpled and unmade; Porrim suspected that Aranea wasn’t big on such things as tidying up and didn’t tend to let the droids in terribly often, lest they put something away and she would have no hope of finding it again.  She thought about how they would need to find some sort of compromise about this state of disarray but those thoughts suddenly escaped her when she realized what it was Aranea was looking for... and had now found.    
  
    “I’ve waited for a long time to put these to use,” she beamed, holding up the silver pails for Porrim to take in.  “How about we break them in, my love?”    
  
    Seeing Aranea holding the shining buckets in her hand drove home what it was they were about to do.  Porrim had handled countless thousands of filial pails in her early sweeps; carrying them to the Mother Grub was an honour and a joy, and she spent many hours daydreaming about where they came from and who they might have once belonged to.  She longed for the day when she could provide a bucket of her own when the time came to give an Imperial Drone what it demanded and now that day was finally here.  She was too overcome with emotion to speak; all she could do was nod and start towards the room where they had first shared their love and would now consummate it properly.  
  
    Once inside, they shut the door and Aranea placed the buckets beside the bed while Porrim filled the ablution trap.  Aranea gave Porrim’s rear a quick squeeze as she made her way to the computer and set the lighting and music to something more suitable for the mood.   As the sounds began to fill their space, she headed back towards the bedroom and once Porrim shut the water off, she flipped her hair back and exposed her slender neck, which Porrim promptly leaned into and began to kiss hungrily.  Aranea reached under Porrim’s arms and began to undo the clasps that held her dress.  Moments later, Porrim stepped out of it and gently turned Aranea around so that she could undo the tie at the back and release her from the royal blue and black dress.  It, too, found the floor shortly thereafter, and Porrim began to place kisses down into the small of Aranea’s back, which made her shiver with delight.  “Okay...” she sighed, pulling away slightly to ease the intensity of the sensation, “into the trap with you."  
  
    Porrim stepped into the warm water and then extended her hand to help Aranea in.  They sat down into the water, then drifted into one corner of the trap and entangled themselves into a passionate embrace.  Hands slid over wet bodies and while some cleaning was done, that wasn’t their primary aim.   After a few minutes, Aranea stood up and let Porrim scrub her with the sponge, and more than a few extra moments were spent lingering around certain parts of her anatomy.  Shortly after, Porrim stood and let Aranea do the same to her; as the warm water cascaded down her chest and stomach and then found channels between her thighs back to whence it came, she thought she might add to the flow before long.  Her hunger was never more fierce than it was right then and she could barely stand it; she grabbed Aranea by the wrist this time and made her way out of the ablution trap, almost dragging Spinneret out behind her.    
  
    Aranea laughed at this sudden display of determination from Porrim.  “Something tells me you have something in mind to do next?”    
  
    “Yes.  You.”  She grabbed a couple of towels from under the trap and then took Aranea over to the bed.    
  
    Aranea sat down on the edge first but before Porrim could lay her down and start licking her, she put a finger up and gently said, “Actually, dear heart, maybe I should take the lead this time.  Let me show you one way of putting a bucket to use properly... pick one of them up, then come and sit between my legs with your back to me.”    
  
    Porrim did as she asked; she sat on the edge of the mattress with her legs open while Aranea sat behind her, bucket at her side within easy reach.  Aranea began kissing her neck while she caressed her breasts and rolled her hard green nipples lightly between her fingers.  Porrim started to breathe shallowly and as one of Aranea’s hands made its way toward her aching nub, she began to whisper in her ear.  “You’re already so close, aren’t you?  All this teasing and touching and tasting... this won’t take you long at allllllll...”  Porrim gasped involuntarily and pressed herself against Aranea’s fingers, allowing one, and then two, to slide inside of her.  Once they were in, Aranea curled them slightly and started to lightly vibrate them, which caused her to arch her back and moan.  Even if the hive around them suddenly caught fire and burned to the ground, she wouldn’t have been able to stop what she was doing now; something deep inside of her was screaming for fulfillment and she wasn’t about to deny it for anything.    
  
    “ohh... mmmy...”  Any attempts Porrim made at speaking were completely obliterated by waves of sheer pleasure coursing through her.  She grabbed at the sheets and her head lolled forward; Aranea took the opportunity to suck on her neck when she did, which made her clutch the sheets even harder.  The fingers within her, not to mention the thumb gently stroking her pulsing nub, were building up an unstoppable surge that was going to result in a wet explosion in very short order, but this time, it wasn’t going to be wasted upon towels or bedsheets...  
  
    “Please let go... I’m ready for you, my love...”  Aranea reached over and took the bucket in her right hand and leaned forward against Porrim’s back so that it was where it needed to be.  She flicked her tongue against Porrim’s earlobe; she could feel her lover start to shake and tremble and she increased the intensity of her finger vibrations to help push her all the way over the edge.    
  
    Porrim knew her legs were shaking violently but couldn’t quit if she tried.  That tongue on her ear was the catalyst; Aranea’s fingers were drawing her focus to a sharp point and all she needed to send her over was that one action.  She remembered the very first time Aranea, still as Spinneret Mindfang, took her to this wondrous place and she remembered to breathe as the first shockwaves of orgasm hit her.  Her eyes rolled back and she wailed; from somewhere far above everything, she felt Aranea’s fingers suddenly slip out of her and a flood of warmth pour out behind them.  She continued to shudder for almost a minute and then fell limp back against Aranea.  She could see constellations of stars with her eyes closed and she thought for a moment that she’d never find the strength to open them again.    
  
    Eventually, Porrim did just that and tilted her head back to look at Aranea, who was gently stroking her face and hair and smiling proudly.  “You did just fine, love... flying colours.  Well, literally, I suppose...”  She brought the bucket around to show Porrim the jade coloured contents, who was amazed that it was actually hers in that receptacle.  “Of course, you realize that we’re only halfway there, right?” interjected Aranea, which startled Porrim from her reverie.  
  
    “Oh...  oh!  Yes, right... sorry!”  
  
    “Don’t be!  I know you’re still riding the afterglow there, my sweet.  Thing is, you of all people should know that the best mixing happens when things are still warm so perhaps we should keep going?”    
  
    Porrim had heard that many times in her studies and knew it was true.  “Okay, yes! So... how should I... you know..."  
  
    Aranea smiled.  “The only thing I wouldn’t suggest is using your mouth to do all of it.  Rumour has it I taste pretty good and whatnot...”  She watched Porrim look down and blush fiercely before continuing.  “But the idea is to get as much as you can into the pail.  So, virtually any position will work, but just keep in mind what it is you need to do and when.  Allow me to offer a suggestion...”  She slid backwards on the bed until she could swing her legs out from around Porrim’s waist, and then got onto her knees and moved forward until she could grab the headboard.  Once there, she set the bucket down beside the pillows, stretched her back so that her rear was tipped up in the air and looked back to Porrim.  “You do remember what you’re supposed to do with this, right?”  
  
    Porrim actually giggled.  “I believe so.  Let me think about it for a moment...” She put a finger to her mouth and looked skyward as though pondering the correct answer, and then opened her hand and gave Aranea’s backside a firm swat.  “Smack that ass, yes?”  
  
    Aranea wiggled a bit as though to invite another blow.  “You got it.  Now, what else do you have in your arsenal?”  
  
    “I have one of these...” she proffered and then leaned forward onto the bed and ran her tongue from Aranea’s nub and up across her seedflap and nook, which resulted in a gasp of pleasure from the head of the bed.    
  
    “That... is a fine choice, but just remember what I told you.  I’d be more than happy to flood your face later if that’s what you want, but just make sure you’ve got some other options handy to make sure we get most of it in here.”  She passed the pail back to Porrim, who placed it beside her.  
  
    She thought for a moment, and then Porrim sucked on one of her fingers and slid it into Aranea’s warm, wet opening.  She tried to remember how Aranea did what she did with her fingers and then gently curled it.  The response was immediate; Aranea tipped her hips so that she could rub the inside front wall of her seedflap against Porrim’s fingers.   Both worked in concert so that it made Aranea moan with pleasure.  “Try and slide another finger in...” she asked, “and put one in my nook for a while, until you need that hand.  I want you to fill me up, Porrim... be as inside of me as you possibly can...”  
   
    Porrim smiled at the idea, and then gently did so.   Aranea squeezed herself around those fingers and grabbed them as hard as she could, all the while moving her hips rhythmically.  Porrim watched her do so; her lover’s long dark hair draped all over her back, the long upsweep of her horns, her skin flushing blue and the sweet scent of her sex gave her a feeling that escaped description.   _Too many feelings at once,_ she thought happily.  She was completely fascinated by Aranea’s movements and felt her heart quicken as she heard the soft exclamations from the other’s lips and thought of how they equated to her own experiences on the other end of relentless stroking and rubbing on her most sensitive places.    
  
    “Come onnnnnnnn... draw it from me, Porrim... make me... make me give it all to you... it’s yours... yourrrrrrrrs...”  The rest was lost in a squeal of delight as Aranea pushed her hips back hard onto Porrim’s hands.  Porrim was taken aback by this but started to speed up her stroking.  Through chattering teeth, Aranea finally called out “Bucket... hurry... going to... come all over... nnnnnnnn...”  Porrim slipped her right hand free of her nook, grabbed the silver pail and slid it between Aranea’s thighs; she could feel Aranea clench down hard on her fingers right before she wailed and released.  Porrim didn’t so much pull her fingers out of Aranea as they were forced out by a wave of blue that poured into the bucket followed by starts and stops as secondary waves followed.  
  
    When she was reasonably sure Aranea had finished, she slid back a bit and took the bucket out from between her legs.   Aranea asked Porrim if the pail had been moved, and once she had confirmed that it was, she promptly collapsed face first onto the bed and then rolled over onto her back.  “Okay... that was... pretty fucking amazing, love...” she said between gasps, “but I need more... Set that bucket down... beside the bed... and get over here.”   Porrim leaned over and gingerly placed the pail beside the bed, and when she looked back to Aranea, she could see that her nub was protruding and almost glowing a bright blue.  “I need... your mouth on this... right the hell now.”  As Porrim leaned in to do just that, Aranea put a hand up.  “No... not like that... you bring that choice ass of yours over here... and put it in my face.  We take turns.  I know you need it, too.”    
  
    Porrim certainly couldn’t argue that; she’d gotten rather hot and bothered just pleasuring Aranea and could feel her own nub singing out for attention.  Within moments, she swung her legs over Aranea’s chest and lowered herself gently down over her body.  Porrim was grateful that they were both very close in height; it made it easier for her to embrace Aranea’s nub with her mouth comfortably than if they weren’t.  She teased the small blue protrusion with her tongue; she could feel the warmth radiating from it.  Just before she was about to wrap her lips around it again, she felt the flicking response on her own and she stopped to focus on the primal surge that tore through her anew.  She put her shaking hands on Aranea’s thighs and closed her eyes and took in every iota of the pleasure her lover inflicted on her; in her wildest dreams, she never imagined it could be so wondrous.  When there was a pause in the warm, wet pressure, she resumed her ministrations and even though the legs under her hands shook uncontrollably, she didn’t let up until she could hear that telltale sound from behind her and a small trickle of blue escaped the soft grey lips just in front of her mouth.    
  
    As she released her grip on Aranea’s quivering nub, she ventured a quick lick further down; the sweet, sticky taste was unlike anything else she’d ever encountered and she enjoyed it more than she would admit to anyone else.  She barely had time to think any further on the subject when her thoughts were completely hijacked by the tongue that plunged deep into her own nether regions.  She found her hips were pushing back against it as though they had a will of their own.  It would dart in and out of her, flashing forward to roll around her nub in sweeping figure-eights and back again to both of her openings.  She closed her eyes and let the sensations completely overwhelm her; language was utterly lost as Aranea’s tongue found a foothold alongside her jadest place and two hands gripped her rear and parted it to allow fingers to explore places where the tongue was recently occupying.  The music pulsed in her ears and it felt like her heartbeat matched the tempo; although her mind and body were singing, Porrim couldn’t have spoken a word if the fate of the world depended on it.  The teasing became more focused, and soon she was climbing a hill that no one could see; the scent of Aranea’s love filled her sniffnodes and only served to heighten the intensity in a way that defied description.  She was rising to the apex of an invisible crest, different than the one before which was deeper and more primal; this one spoke of raw ecstasy and finally, she went careening over the side.  This time, she forgot to breathe and all she heard before she blacked out was her own voice making a sound which no letters could give shape to and no word could ever describe...    
  
  
  
  
    When she came to, she inhaled sharply and looked around.  She found herself face to face with Aranea’s most intimate parts and she remembered where she was and what and who she was doing.  “You finally decided to come back to life, then, dear heart?  You had me worried for a moment!  How was I supposed to get us a bite to eat with your choice ass on my face for the rest of the day?”    
  
    Porrim laughed at Aranea’s complaint and tried to find the strength to even roll off of her; she felt as though her entire body was made of viscous liquid and she slowly poured herself off to the side so that Aranea could actually get up.  She watched as her lover walked out to the kitchen, and then returned with a plate of loaf and a drink for them to share.  “I’m so hungry and yet, I’m not sure I have an appetite for much other than you right now,” she said when Aranea offered her the plate.  
  
    “Eat up, my sweet.  You’re going to need your strength for later, trust me.”    
  
    At Aranea’s urging, she took a slice of the grubloaf and found that she actually was, in fact, hungry.  They sat silently, eating and enjoying each others’ company without a word.  The sun had fully risen and Porrim stretched and yawned; she felt as though she could sleep for a week.  After she took a sip of the drink, she looked over at the bucket beside the bed and watched the colours flow and mingle within it.  

  
     “Beautiful, isn’t it?” asked Aranea.  She had slid over to sit beside Porrim and craned her neck to view the contents of the pail along with her.    
  
    “I’ve never seen these colours together before.”  Porrim marveled at the way the shades of blue and green swirled together, and still found it hard to believe that half of it came from her.    
  
    “Jadebloods like you are pretty few and far between.  Did you ever know if any of your sisters in the Mother Cave ever filled a pail themselves?”  
  
    She pondered this for a while.  “No, actually.  I’m sure it must have happened from time to time, but I never saw any trace of colour like mine in any of the buckets I carried, red or black.”  
  
    Aranea slipped an arm around her.  “Maybe it will help you finally realize just how special you actually are?  Think about all of the places you’ve been and the things you’ve done that have set you apart!  You actually left the Mother Cave and found your own way in the world... while you raised a grub?  That’s unheard of!  You raised him to be one of the most inspiring figures this world has ever seen, and traveled with him across great distances, risking your life to ensure that his message would reach the ears of those who needed to hear it most.  And now you find yourself here, about to embark on adventures that none of those who will live out the rest of their days in that Cave could ever possibly imagine.   Do you even see the scope of what you’ve accomplished?  How can I not be impressed and amazed by you?”  She kissed Porrim on the cheek, and then again on the lips when Porrim turned to meet her face.    
  
    “Maybe you’re easily impressed?”    
  
    This was followed by a snort of laughter.  “You’re a snarky one, aren’t you?  All the more reason to love you.”  She kissed Porrim again and picked up the empty plate.  “Did you want any more loaf today?”    
  
    Porrim stretched her arms above her head, then replied, “If it’s all the same, I just want to sleep.  I feel so... drained.”  
  
    Aranea looked into the bucket, and then back at her.  “I can see why!  Just let me put this away and we can head for bed.”  
  
    While Aranea took the plate and cup to the kitchen, Porrim used the gaper and then made her way back to the bed.  She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror: she noticed there was a bit of blue still tucked into the corner of her mouth; she smiled and wiped it off.   _Maybe she’s right... I have come a long way.  And there’s a long way to go._  
   
    Porrim slipped under the covers and let her head sink into the soft pillow.  She looked out the window at the red sky and wondered what the next days would bring.  Aranea climbed in behind her, put a hand on her hip then nuzzled the back of her head.  Porrim rolled over and embraced her.  “Can I ask you a question?”  
  
    “Always, love.  I’m glad you still enjoy our question time.”  
  
    “You seem to know what you’re doing with buckets.  Can I safely assume I’m not your first?”  
  
    Aranea gave her a slight nod.  “You’re correct.  Just keep in mind that I’m quite a bit older than you are.  It’s not that big a deal, is it?”  
  
    Porrim thought for a moment.  “No, not really.  I just find myself wondering what your first matesprit was like.  What became of that person?  Or is it too personal a question to ask?”  
  
    A long pause.  “She’s actually still around, as it turns out.   I have her to thank for a lot of who I am today.  When I look at some of the things I’ve done to you in the last little while, though, I fear ‘thank’ may be too strong a word.  But she did teach me a great many things, some of which I’ve passed on to you, for better or for worse.  Let’s just say that she saved me in a similar manner to which I saved you.  Will that work for you?”  
  
    “Thank you for saving me.  I love you.”    
  
    Aranea kissed her lips and stroked her hair and horn.  “Sometimes I wonder who saved who, dear heart.  I love you, too.  More than you’ll ever know.”    
  
    Moments later, Porrim was in the deepest, most satisfied sleep she had ever known.    
  
  
  
  
    Porrim was briefly roused from her slumber by the sound of the door closing.  Her eyes fluttered open and she found that Aranea was no longer in the bed with her, but a pale blue piece of paper was resting on the pillow where her head was not long ago.  She propped herself up on her elbow and read it through dim light and bleary eyes.  
  
 _Dearest Porrim,_  
     
    _Sorry to have to leave your side but I could bear it no longer:  I’ve gone to one of my bases to bring back something special for you and me.  When I asked you to be my matesprit, I know I should have had a ring to go with my proposal, but time and circumstance did not permit me to have the one I wanted to give you on hand.  I need to remedy this post haste.  Hopefully I will be there and back again before you wake; considering how tired you seemed after our adventures last night, it wouldn’t surprise me if this is the case!_  
  
 _Nonetheless, I fully expect you will awaken before my return and I didn’t want you to think I had disappeared again after what wonders we shared as the sun rose.  Believe me, the treasures I’m bringing will dazzle you: a rich sapphire will soon grace your finger. A piece of the purest jade will adorn mine and yet that stone is a pale shadow of the beautiful jewel that is you.  Rest comfortably and sweetest dreams._  
  
 _Love,_  
 _Spinneret         XXXXXXXX_  
  
  
    Porrim found it a touch peculiar that Aranea didn’t sign her real name to the letter, but thought that maybe it was a case of old habits dying hard and nothing more.  She heard the sound of a hovervehicle being started and realized it was simply Aranea departing on her ring-finding sojourn.  She slid her hand under her pillow, found the earring that had become so precious to her, and slowly drifted back into her restful slumber.


	14. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cronus confronts Porrim with the truth about Mindfang and is surprised by what she already knows. A conversation concerning the Marquise goes horribly, horribly awry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you came here knowing the background story of this from Mindfang’s Journal in Homestuck, you knew this was coming. If not… I’m sorry. Bad things happen here.
> 
> But take note: this is NOT the end… not by a longshot. Tune in next week for the aftermath. And then some.
> 
> Speaking of the canon journal, this is the chapter that finally references the first page of it that we see in Hussie’s epic tale.
> 
> Thanks to [Mercale](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercale/pseuds/Mercale) for her edits, and [Lindsay](aparticularlygoodfinder.tumblr.com), and [Christie](aerococonut.deviantart.com) for their input on this, the pivotal chapter of this story. You are all wonderful people.
> 
> No idea how many of you folks are reading it here, but hope you’re enjoying it. I’ll totally forgive you if you don’t enjoy this chapter…
> 
> If you don’t have the Beautiful Jewel soundtrack yet, you need it by this point. You know, in case you really like to kick yourself in the feels even harder: [Beautiful Jewel Soundtrack](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/64694493/BEAUTIFUL%20JEWEL.zip)

**14.**  
  
    Porrim awoke and noticed it was dark.  Not just dark out, but dark inside as well.   _That’s strange,_ she thought, _I thought we had the lights on low last time... I was able to read that note and the sun had pretty much gone down._  She sat up in bed and looked around; even the window offered no help as the stars were clouded over.    
  
    “Computer, lights to thirty percent!” There was no change in the degree of darkness.  “Hello?  Anyone home?” she called.  Not hearing a reply, Porrim slowly slipped out of bed and started making her way around it.  She knew every turn by heart; she navigated this room in the dark out of necessity before and its layout would never leave her mind.  Her plan was to make her way to the computer console and manually adjust the settings, but this plan was cut short as she walked straight into a set of bars.    
  
    She cried out and staggered back.  “What the hell?  Why is this door closed?”  Her pulse started to race; something wasn’t right here.  “I really hope this is your idea of a game, because I’m getting a little bit scared here...”  
  
    The next thing Porrim heard chilled her to the bone.    
  
    “I assure you that this is most certainly not a game.  At least, not one that you stand a chance at winning, hmm?”  
  
    The lights at the computer console came up and sitting in one of the blue chairs was a face she’d hoped never to lay eyes on ever again.   “What... what are you doing in here?” she stammered.   She stepped back and fell onto the bed, wide-eyed.    
  
    “Whatever the fuck I want to.  Any more questions you’d like answered?  Believe me, by the time I get through with you, you’ll probably have more questions than you ever thought possible.  Please, do keep them coming!”  Cronus Ampora turned to the computer console and raised the lights in her cell so that he could see her.  
  
    She squinted in the sudden glare and tried to calm herself down.  Realizing she was still completely naked, Porrim grabbed at a sheet to cover herself, which made him laugh.  “Seriously.  You can drop your pretenses of modesty.  I wouldn’t filthy my bulge with anything green if someone held a gun to my head.”  Porrim raised an eyebrow at the insult but at least felt a small twinge of relief that he wouldn’t try anything sexual with her.  “However, I think it’s high time you were filled in on the kind of company you’ve been keeping.”  
  
    Porrim cocked her head to the side, genuinely curious about what he meant.  “What, or should I ask, who are you talking about?”  
  
    “Really?” Ampora asked.  “I know you jadeblood types are kinda sheltered but I didn’t take you to be so naive.  Your dear girlfriend, Marquise Spinneret Mindfang, may not be the paragon of virtue you think she is, you know.”    
  
    “Oh?”  Porrim gave him a deliberately crestfallen look.  “My goodness.  I was unaware that she took part in any illicit activities.  Shall I report her to the local constabulary?  A menace such as she must be stopped at once.”  
  
    She watched as a snarl formed on his face like a storm cloud.  “Insolence would be an ill choice this evening, slave girl.  I think you need to watch your tongue lest you end up watching it flop about on the floor untethered.”  She considered this and decided that snark might not be a wise choice... at least, not at the moment.    
  
    “You see,” he continued, “while Miss Mindfang is capable of everything from grand theft to murder, never mind treason and sedition, she also possesses abilities that allow her to... well... possess others.  They only seem to be effective against those who are beneath her on the bloodscale; they’re completely useless against the likes of me, but certainly someone like yourself is quite susceptible.  Do you understand what I’m talking about here?”  
  
    Porrim nodded.  “Yes, I’m quite aware of her abilities.”  
  
    Dualscar blinked a few times.  “You are?”  
  
    “Mm-hmm.  She told me.”  
   
    He rose to his feet and drew himself up to his full, imposing height.  “Well, I suppose she might have, but what you might not know, and please understand how much it pains me to be the bearer of this unfortunate news, is that she has used these powers... on you.”  
  
    Porrim nodded again.  “Yes.  I knew that, too, actually.”  
  
    This time, Ampora was shocked into silence.  He genuinely hadn’t expected that Mindfang actually DID, in fact, tell her about it.   _Maybe this was part of her control, he thought, so let’s see what happens when she sees it with her own eyes..._  “It’s one thing for her to tell you about it, lowblood, but maybe she didn’t tell you everything.  Did that possibility ever occur to you, hmmm?”    
  
    She wasn’t entirely sure she liked where this was going.  There may very well have been something Aranea didn’t tell her about, and she tried to compose her thoughts and feelings just in case something disturbing was about to be brought to light.  “Perhaps... but she has been honest and up front with me.”  
  
    “Ha!” he barked.  “You’d be the first.  I think you need to see for yourself what your captor enjoys doing with her thralls.”  
  
    “I don’t suspect it would be any worse than having me chained to a bed and pumping me full of chemicals in a desperate attempt to pry information from my mind.”    
  
    Dualscar crossed his arms over his purple tunic and smiled.  “You don’t think so, hm?  Well, let me show you something that might convince you otherwise.”  He tapped a few buttons on the computer and the screen came to life.  Porrim looked up and it and was able to determine it was security camera footage, complete with audio.  The footage showed a view from above of what appeared to be a party, or at least a meeting:  there were a few high ranking military officials in the room, some of who were talking rather excitedly.  At the periphery of the camera’s range was Dualscar himself, standing in a corner in his dress uniform, drink of some kind in hand.  Porrim looked beside him and was able to discern a particular pale blue wooden sculpture she had seen before... “Was this taken here?” she inquired.  
  
    “Good eye.  Now watch closely...”  
  
    Porrim couldn’t tear her eyes away if she wanted to as Spinneret suddenly appeared, and someone followed closely behind her, wearing a dirty set of shorts and shirt... one she recognized immediately.  The look of terror in the woman’s eyes was heartbreaking enough as it was, but doubly so when she came to realize it was her own eyes she was looking at.    
  
    Ampora couldn’t help but take note of Porrim’s reaction.   “Oh... do you see someone there you recognize?  I wonder who that could be, trailing around behind Mindfang like a whipped hoofbeast and wearing threadbare rags?  Because that must be how a good lover treats her partner, right?”    
     
    She didn’t reply, but continued to watch as this woman who looked exactly like her followed Spinneret over to where Dualscar was standing.  Many heads turned to stare at what happened next: while Mindfang engaged Dualscar in conversation, this terrified doppelganger moved to stand in front of Spinneret and began to undo the buttons of her overcoat.  She was all but crouching as she unfastened the final button, but once she had done so, she stood again and began to do the same to her ruffled white blouse.  In this video, Porrim was wide eyed, but those eyes were glassy and fixed straight on Mindfang’s face; her expression spoke of mindless adoration, but mixed with a stark terror that if she failed to impress her mistress, great torment would be her reward.  Mindfang continued to talk casually to Dualscar as though this was a completely normal occurrence; while his expression initially struck her as one of disgust, she noticed the glint of jealousy already starting to develop in his eyes.    
  
    Once Mindfang’s blouse was undone, Porrim watched as her enslaved self began to run her hands slowly up and down Spinneret’s bare stomach and chest, taking her time sliding her hands over her breasts and gently squeezing her blue nipples.  It never ceased to amaze Porrim how comfortable Mindfang was with her own body: she turned her head to look at the crowd who was watching appreciatively, impressed with both her ability to manipulate the slave girl so effectively and her willingness to put on such a sexually charged display for them.  Spinneret looked back towards Dualscar but he was no longer there; he had already slipped away and was making his way out the side door.  Mindfang shrugged and touched Porrim on the shoulder to indicate that she should stop and await further instruction.  With their admiral’s sudden departure, the rest of the military entourage decided it would be in their best interests to take their leave as well and began filing out the front entrance shortly after.    
  
    Ampora reached over and stopped the playback.  “So, how must it feel to watch yourself being used like a puppet?  Being forced to strut around for the entertainment of the slavering masses by the very woman who purports to love you?  Truly awful, I’m certain.”  
  
    Porrim had to admit that she’d developed a horrible, empty feeling deep inside; it was one thing to hear about such events taking place, but to have them displayed so viscerally was another entirely.  It was unnerving to her not to be able to remember it occurring, but at the same time, she found that she was actually thankful for that fact.   _This happened well before she started trying to win you over, remember.  This was a necessary evil and one that she was kind enough to spare you from having to relive in your own mind.  It changes nothing; it was in the past and it will never happen again._  She gathered herself and looked at Ampora.  “She did tell me all about this and why it took place.  I don’t recall a single moment of it and for that, I’m grateful, actually.  If anyone should be accused of harbouring darker motivations, it would be you for putting me through it now, don’t you think?”  
  
    Dualscar was becoming more and more frustrated that his plan was not having the desired effect; he cursed Mindfang for actually following through on filling the greenblooded scum in on what transpired.  “You sure have a sharp tongue for someone who’s stuck behind bars, slave.”  He stood slowly and took his electroharpoon down from his shoulder.  “You should realize that I could reduce you to a stain without a second thought.”  
  
    A sudden wave of strength seemed to flow into Porrim as she realized that she had him at a disadvantage and she dropped the sheet and made her way back up to the bars.  “You wouldn’t dare!  You know she’d eviscerate you if you even thought about harming me!”  
  
    “Try me...”  
  
    She calculated the odds that he would actually follow through and realized that she might be in some danger, but the idea of extracting some small measure of payback for what he’d inflicted on her gave her an impetus for engaging him while he was off-balance.  “You know you can’t and that’s what’s making you crazy, isn’t it?  You’re still hanging on to some misplaced hope that she’ll flush red for you.  If you harm me in any way, it won’t make her suddenly love you… quite likely the opposite, in fact.”  
  
    He regarded her though narrowed eyes.  “What do you know about it?  You’re just a simple, traitorous piece of weak-willed garbage.  I still haven’t been able to figure out why she wants you for anything other than entertainment value.  I must say, so far, I haven’t exactly found you terribly entertaining.”  
  
    “What, would you like me to do a little dance for you or something?  Sorry to disappoint you, but that’s reserved for one person alone.”  
  
    “Ugh.  Please.  I’d sooner fuck a mud puddle than watch that.  It was bad enough to have to watch you defile such beauty with your unworthy hands; I couldn’t possibly get it up for you if you were the last bucketholder on Alternia.”  
  
    His verbal barbs were starting to irritate her, but a sharp pain from the scars on her back reminded her that he was capable of seriously harming her if provoked... or for his own amusement.  “Listen to me: you have to understand that there’s nothing you can do or say that can turn me against her.  Whatever you set out to do here is an abject failure.  Get out before she gets back and maybe she won’t reply quite as harshly.  She is capable of mercy, after all.”  
  
    Ampora laughed loudly.  “Seriously?  You’re not kidding; it’s got to be the only logical reason she has anything to do with you.  Mercy... pity... they’re about the same thing, aren’t they?  So, where is the Marquise, anyway?  Out getting a new set of rags for you to wear?  I see she can’t even clothe you properly.”  
  
    Porrim was now utterly unconcerned about her nudity at this point; _this must be how Aranea feels about it_ , she thought.  “Actually, she’s out picking up rings for us to wear.  We are matesprits now, after all.”  
  
    His laughter was a hard sound in the room.  “You have GOT to be kidding me!  It’s bad enough that she’s fucking the kitchen table but now she thinks she can marry it, too, hmm?  I take it back, jadeblood:  you ARE entertaining after all!  That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day!”  
  
    She shrugged.  “Fine, don’t believe me.  Read this for yourself.”  
  
    Dualscar looked warily at the pale blue piece of paper she thrust at him through the bars.  He approached her slowly and deliberately, never taking his steely purple eyes off her hers until he was close enough to pluck it from her grasp.  As soon as he took it, Porrim backed away and sat down on the bed.  She reached back and slipped the earring out from under the pillow and clutched it tightly.   _All I can do is either keep him occupied until Aranea gets back or try and persuade him to leave.  Hopefully this does it or I’m going to need her to get home quickly..._  
   
    Porrim watched his face as he read her script.  What happened next was not at all what she expected: he sank to the floor and landed sharply on his knees.  He balled his hands and crumpled the paper as his jaw trembled and a small trickle of purple appeared from his right eye.  “This... no... She can’t...” was all he could manage.  “This has to be... some kind of trick...”  
  
    She weighed her words carefully.  “You know that’s not the case, don’t you?  Please, try to understand that there’s nothing you can do to change this.  It’s over.  Please just let us be.”  
  
    He dropped the crushed paper and put his hands over his face.  “Why?  Why doesn’t she see what I can give her?”  
  
    “You give her a tremendous adversary!  Your caliginous relationship is one she enjoys, but she’s starting to worry these red feelings you have are damaging it.”  
  
    “STOP TALKING.  You know NOTHING about it!”  
  
    “I know everything about it!  I’m her matesprit!” Porrim retorted.  “She tells me of her troubles... her needs and worries... her plans.  All the things you could only dream that she would share with you!”    
  
    Hearing this just made Ampora clamp his hands over his ears and shake with rage.  “Matesprit.  You, of all... things.”    
  
    “Did you not hear her when she said I’m not a Thing?  Maybe that’s why I’m her matesprit and you aren’t?  You can’t see past bloodcaste!  Love is everywhere across the hemospectrum!  I AM HER RED LOVER!  So long as I’m with her that way, there’s no way you can ever be!”  
  
    Dualscar suddenly stopped shaking.   _Finally... I got through to him, she thought._  She watched him slowly rise to his feet, and then turn to face her.  Something in his expression suddenly frightened her.    
  
    “Impudent lowblood... as much as it pains me to admit it, you are absolutely right.  If I got rid of you, it would completely destroy any possibility of red romance anyhow.  So, if it’s gotta be black, might as well go full dark then.”  Ampora took Ahab’s Crosshairs into his hands and pointed it right at her.    
  
    She scrambled to her feet, desperately searching for a place to hide; there would be little chance she could reason with him in this state.  “No!  Please!  You don’t want to do this!”  
  
    “YES I DO!” he shouted. The purple began to well up in his eyes again.  “Do you know what it’s like to want someone with every fibre of your being?  Someone who is just perfect for you, but wants no part of you, no matter how hard you try to impress her?  No!  You have no fucking idea at all!  It feels like I’m being cut in half!  Any hope I had when I came in here is completely gone now.  So you can kiss any hope you had of ever getting out of this cage alive goodbye.  So long, traitor.”   He bared his teeth and pointed the weapon through the bars.    
  
    In a split second, Porrim recalled her original plan to wrest Mindfang’s sword away and since flight was not an option, fight suddenly kicked in and she lunged for the bars.  The distance was too great for her to cover in so short a time and she barely had a moment to take a step before a flash of light filled her vision.  All of a sudden, fight evaporated and all she wanted to do was lay down.  A moment later, she was on the ground, the golden earring clenched firmly in her hand.  The scent of Aranea’s soap was strong from the ablution trap where they had spent so much of their time together, except it was tinged with smells that weren’t supposed to be there: ozone and something burnt.  It didn’t matter; just the soft floral scent was enough for her.  She thought of Kankri’s fiery passion and strength, Meulin’s sweetness and ferocity, Mituna’s kindness and warmth.  She thought of Aranea’s strange and beautiful eyes, her wonderful hands.  She remembered the joy she felt when she awoke and Aranea was actually there beside her and finally told her what her name was.  She recalled that was the only time they ever woke up beside one another and how she wished she could hear her voice again.    
  
    _You really never knew how to say good bye, did you?_   Porrim thought, and then she thought no more.    
  
  
  
  
    Cronus Ampora took in the tableau before him.   _Wow... that was not what I had in mind when I got here,_ he thought.  He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and then used the key to unlock the cellblock door.   He stood over the body of the jadeblood slave; there was now a large hole burned clean through her and a broad smear of green on the wall behind where she last stood.   _Guess I’m all in for black now,_ he thought as he dragged the body out of the cell.   _Did Spinneret a favour, anyway; maybe she’ll come to see that in time.  She’s too good for scum like this._  
   
    With some effort, Dualscar picked up the limp form and headed down the hall with it.  He heard a clunk as he turned the corner and noticed something shiny had fallen from her hand to the floor.   _I’ll have to check that out on the way back,_ he thought.  As he carefully negotiated the spiral staircase, he saw his agent looking up at him from the parlour.  “What the hell are you staring at?” he bellowed, “Everyone still under lockdown?”  
  
    “So far, sir.  The gas should keep them subdued for another hour or two.  The door to the ship below is locked as well; no one will be getting into the hive from there.”  
  
    “Good.  Get me a lighter from the kitchen.  A big one.  I need to send a smoke signal.  One that any good sailor worth her salt couldn’t possibly miss.”


	15. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindfang returns to her hive to discover a most unwelcome visitor. Dualscar receives a rather pointed lesson concerning the error of his plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two words: vengeance. Additional trigger warning, folks: this gets a bit gruesome. Not saying what happens here wasn’t deserved, but it’s not pretty nor is it for the faint of heart. However, I will admit this was the plan all along; there’s a callback to Chapter 2 here; see if you can find it!
> 
> Still not the end; one more official chapter and then two additional parts. The second book is gearing up to start when this one’s done!
> 
> As always, my thanks go to [Mercale](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercale/pseuds/Mercale) for her edits and to [aparticularlygoodfinder](http://archiveofourown.org/works/589734/chapters/aparticularlygoodfinder.tumblr.com) and [aerococonut](http://archiveofourown.org/works/589734/chapters/aerococonut.deviantart.com) for their reading and comments. You guys rule.
> 
> Go grab the soundtrack. The song for this chapter will tear you to pieces: [Beautiful Jewel Soundtrack](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64694493/BEAUTIFUL%20JEWEL.zip)
> 
> It's up on deviantArt, too, if you'd like to see some other comments on it and some art associated: [Beautiful Jewel on dA](http://drhicks76.deviantart.com/art/Beautiful-Jewel-Chapter-15-359158638)
> 
> Shall we see what happens next?

**15.**  
  
    Aranea Serket was on top of the world.  As she cruised back from Base 2 with a pair of rings tucked into the pocket  of her leather overcoat, she opened the canopy of her hovercar and breathed in the fresh sea air that flowed past.  She could feel the wind toss her long hair behind her and she felt at ease.  The green moon had risen and gave a lush look to the ground below that whizzed by.   _What a fine evening,_ she thought, and put her hand in the pocket to fiddle with the jewellery it contained.  She would have been wearing the one meant for her, but she thought it would be much more meaningful if Porrim slipped it onto her finger herself.    
  
    As she crested a hill a few clicks from her hive, something caught her eye that made her blood run cold: a thick column of smoke was drifting into the sky.   _My hive is the only one in the area... that has to be coming from... OH NO!_  
  
    Aranea opened the throttle to its maximum and roared in towards her home as fast as her machine would permit.  As she drew closer, she could see the smoke was indeed coming from her hive, but the building itself was not ablaze.  As she reached the driveway, she could see the smoke was coming from her small garden; there was little more than glowing embers left as she ran up to inspect it.   _What the blue hell is going on here?_    
She flung open the front door and ran full speed up the spiral stairs.    
  
    “PORRIIIIIIIIM!!!!!!!!” she yelled, but there was no response.  She was all the way down the hall in about five strides, kicked open the door at the end of the hall and bolted into the room.  The cell door was wide open, but Porrim wasn’t there anymore.    
  
    As soon as Aranea could see the green stain on the wall of the former cell, she knew she was too late and she fell to her knees.  “ _PORRIIIIIIIIM!!!!!!!!_ ”  She collapsed forward onto her hands and gaped for air, but she felt as though none was getting into her.    
  
    When she realized what had happened and who was behind it, something inside Aranea’s mind came undone and she could do nothing but try to breathe; she couldn’t even cry.    
  
    A voice came from behind her.  “I burned your kitchen table.  It offended me.”    
  
    Aranea gave no reply.  She simply stayed on her hands and knees and sucked in air.  
  
    “I should tell you, Marquise, that wasn’t my original plan.  I have to hand it to you, though; you actually told me the truth.  That might very well have been the first time you’ve ever done so.  I told you I was going to show her what you were all about, and to your credit, she already knew.  What was even more admirable was the way she clung to her feelings for you despite the knowledge of what kind of person you are.  You don’t see that kind of dedication everyday, hmm?”    
  
    Spinneret said nothing.  
  
    “Unfortunately,” Ampora continued, “she had a smart mouth on her and it got her in trouble.   In fact, this was actually her idea, come to think of it.  She said that there was no way you could ever be red for me so long as she was around, so now she’s not.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, I have no illusions; there’s no way you’re going to be able to feel red about me for a long time, but the good news is that we both have a long time for it to happen.  I’m more than happy being the blackest possible black for you.  You must admit, the amount of hate you must feel for me right now has to be off the charts, yes?”  
  
    Spinneret said nothing.  
  
    “Don’t you get it?  I did you a fucking favour!  Now you don’t have to sully yourself with that kind of trash in public anymore!  You’re free to pursue romances far more befitting of one of your blood colour.  But I’m sure that you’ll be hard pressed to ever find someone as ebon as I.”  
  
    Spinneret said nothing.  
  
    “And for the record, that smoke in the sky that you undoubtedly saw?  That was her.  Jadebloods are quite flammable as it turns out.  Besides, I had to... she could’ve been a Rainbow Drinker!  You saw the fangs on her, hm?  Can’t very well have those kind of abominations running about now, can we?”  
  
    Spinneret said nothing.  
  
    Dualscar was getting frustrated that she wasn’t responding.  “Seriously, Marquise, what the fuck were you thinking?  Matesprits?  Rings?  You used her as a puppet right in front of me!  She was just another toy.  You hardly even let her out of the house!  Hell, you still had these bars in place!  Lucky thing for me as it turned out; I was able to keep her penned in that way.  Oh, don’t worry; she still put up a fight... kind of.  But, honestly, she really should have kept her filthy lowblood mouth shut.  Is that what you’re doing right now, Spinneret?”  
  
    Spinneret said nothing.  
  
    “Oh, by the way, I almost forgot...”  He reached into the pocket of his tunic vest and pulled out a large golden earring, which he then tossed at her.  It landed just to the right of Mindfang, who looked over to it, and then picked it up.  “I found this clutched in her fingers when I shot her.  I figured she must have been a thief like you or something; there’s no way you’d let any of your precious loot disappear into the hands of anyone else.   She probably swiped it from you in your sleep or something.  Anyway, I certainly don’t want to deprive a pirate of her hard-earned treasure.  You’re welcome.”  
  
    Spinneret said nothing, but sat up onto her knees and pocketed the earring.  
  
    Ampora was pleased that she was showing signs of life.  “Now that’s better!  So, if I can’t be your red right now, I guess I can live with that.  Maybe someday you’ll come to realize that I did this for your own good.  And if you don’t?  Well, then maybe you’ll at least come away with the wisdom that your actions have consequences!  In the meantime, though, to help you ease your pain, it pleases me to be the blackest black lover that has ever been.  Now, how about you come over here and give me a nice big hatesnog?”  
  
    Spinneret slowly rose to her feet.  “Yeah... okay...”  
  
    Dualscar watched as she stood up and then slowly made her way into the cell.   _What the deuce is she up to?_ he wondered, and then noticed that she had extracted a pair of silver pails from under the bed.  She left one behind, and brought the other along with her as she walked towards him.  “Well, well!  That’s the spirit!  I don’t suppose it could really get much blacker than this right now, could it?  Should make for a rather potent combination, hmm?”  
  
    Spinneret said nothing but simply took his hand and led him towards the wall which housed her library.  She pressed Ampora back against the wall, set the bucket down, and with a sad look, leaned in and kissed him.  He enjoyed the scent of her perfume, but also her leather jacket; it reminded him of the sea that he came from.  He reached in to grab her hair and pull her closer but he was startled by a sudden sharp pain in his lip.  
  
    “OW!  You and those damn fangs!  Just because it’s a hatesnog doesn’t mean it has to hurrrRRRKK!!!”  The pain in his lip was completely drowned out by a white hot pain in his lower abdomen.  He ventured a look down to see that Mindfang’s blue sword was embedded in his groin.  
   
    “You weak... pathetic... fool.”  With every word, she twisted the blade and pushed it ever so slightly further into his left globe.  “You’ve done the unthinkable and broken my heart twice at the same time.”    
  
    Dualscar could scarcely breathe.  His mouth worked silently and he tried to wrestle himself away from her but every time he tried to move, she’d shift the sword and he would immediately stop.    
  
    “I tried to explain blackrom to you but did you listen?  No.  How could you ever think that killing my matesprit would POSSIBLY endear you to me in ANY way, black or red?  And now, your thoughtless boorishness and blind jealousy have cost me both my red love and any black feelings I ever had for you.  This was about rivalry hate, not ‘I killed someone you love so now you have to hate me’.  You know so much about naval combat... why do you have to be so fucking STUPID about everything else?”  She pulled the blade upwards slightly and he screamed.    A river of violet was pouring down his pants and onto the floor.  She used her foot to pull the empty bucket towards her and then nudged it under the purple flow to catch it.    
  
    “I don’t care if that’s blood or sexual fluid coming out of you, Cronus.  It really doesn’t matter to me one way or another.  Just know that I’m going to take from you some measure of return.  It was you, after all, who told me that your blood is so valuable.  Maybe we should find out just how MUCH.”  She pulled the sword back towards her and the flow into the pail increased substantially as she did.  Cronus could only manage a whimper at best.    
  
    She looked down at the pail and watched the liquid flow into it.  “Valuable, you say.   What do you think I should I do with this?  I wonder...”  Another twist, another gnash at the air by his teeth.  “I’m sure I could find a buyer on the black market.  There’s plenty of blue and tealbloods who would pay a high price for a chance to mingle their colours with something so rare and uncommon .  They’d hand their bucket over to the Imperial Drone with a smile on their face the likes of which you’ve never seen.  Or...” Another twist, a slight scream.  “Or... what would you think if I just gave this bucket full of happiness to some poor red or orangeblood, lying crippled in their home because of some ridiculous attack of yours, praying that the Imperial Drone stays away from their hive lest they be culled for being unable to get out and find a matesprit or kismesis of their own?  I think that’s a grand idea!  Can you imagine your royal colours swirling in a pail full of rust?  I can!  Tell me, Cronus, do you know what colour you get when you mix red and violet?”  He shook his head as best as he could and moaned incoherently.  “Me neither,” she whispered, “but it’s going to have your face...”    
  
    Spinneret watched the hate spread across his face; his teeth chattered uncontrollably and she could see his cheeks and fins were becoming rather pale grey.  “Oh... I hit a sore spot there, did I?”  She flicked the hilt of the sword again and watched Ampora squirm.  “The worst part about it all is that none of this had to happen.  You got greedy.  You accuse me of taking too much, but in a way, I earn it.  You, on the other hand, just expect everything to fall into your lap and when it doesn’t, you lash out.  It’s served you well to a point, but this time, you went too far.  WAY too far.  I had everything I could have wanted, Cronus: a beautiful matesprit and a black rival the likes of which others dream of.   And you... you’re a stone’s throw from maybe landing the Condesce herself, and yet you chased me... except you already HAD me, you clumsy idiot!”  She twisted the sword again; violet splashed her long jacket.  “Just not in the quadrant you thought you should.  Well, now both you and I have nothing.  It’s all gone thanks to your jealousy and arrogance.    
  
    “Maybe I’m to blame, too... I pushed you and did what I thought kismesis do, but I wagered my feelings against your own and somehow we both lost.  Consider this a lesson in humility for us both.  But make no mistake, you fucking imbecile, YOU did this.  You chose to destroy it all.   I’ve lost my red and my black lover in one fell swoop and now I have nothing left.  If there’s one thing your centuries of tactical analysis should have taught you, a desperate foe, one with nothing left to lose, is the most unpredictable.   But then, I would have thought your knowledge of tactics would have served you a hell of a lot better in our relationship than it did.  More fool me.”  
  
    She pulled the sword free and was spattered with violet again.  Ampora screeched and slumped to the floor; his body shook and it took every ounce of his strength to avoid passing out.  Mindfang shook the residue from her sword into the bucket, and then calmly made her way over to the computer console.  She placed her hand on the interface and said, “Computer: initiate self-destruct sequence, countdown eight minutes, silence all warnings beyond initial one and disengage all door locks.”  
  
    The massive screen flared to life and showed a large red “WARNING”.   _“Enter authorization code.”_  
  
    “Authorization: Marquise Spinneret Mindfang, A – S – 4 – 1 – 3 – 8.”    
  
    _“Authorization for self destruct sequence acknowledged.  Awaiting final confirmation code.”_  
  
    “Zero – Zero – Zero – Destruct – Zero.”  
  
    The screen went blank and every light in the room switched to red.   _“WARNING: SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED.  THIS IS NOT A DRILL.  COUNTDOWN EIGHT MINUTES.  EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY.  THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER AUDIO WARNINGS.”_ blared from the speakers.   Dualscar was still not quite capable of words but the wide-eyed horror in his eyes spoke volumes to her.    
  
    “What?  Are you surprised?  Surely this must have some value as a tactic to you, no?  It’s served me quite well so far, hasn’t it?”  Spinneret slipped up to Ampora again and crouched down beside him to whisper in his ear.  “In case you were wondering, this is no ploy:  I have enough thermetics in my basement to make a crater of this place.  As of right now, you have a little less than eight minutes to live.  Unless, of course, whatever plant of yours that let you get in here figures out that you’re incapacitated and helps you slither away.  I frankly couldn’t care less.  I’m quite willing to sacrifice my hive to take you out, and besides, after all that’s happened, I could never stay here ever again.  Once again, your fault.”  She sighed and listened to his rapid breathing; for just a moment, she allowed herself to feel pity for him and wondered how this course of action could possibly have made sense in his head.  She was starting to feel the emotions creep back in and knew she needed to finish up with him quickly; she wouldn’t give Ampora the satisfaction of seeing her tears.  “One way or another, Cronus, this is goodbye.  If by some manner you actually survive this and we should find ourselves together somewhere, there will be no chance of red feelings.  None.  If my lips are ever this close to you again, I will tear your throat out with my teeth and spit down the hole.  Understand me?”  
  
    He made some noise which she took to be a confirmation of comprehension, so she rose and took one more look around the room and remembered there were some things she needed to take.  As Spinneret entered the former cell, she tried so hard not to look at the green on the wall, but couldn’t stop herself; the anguish inside multiplied to a point she could barely withstand.  She grabbed her dress, Porrim’s cloak and the other bucket they had shared scarcely hours ago, as well as Ahab’s Crosshairs , which Dualscar had set down on the bed while he attended to Porrim’s body.  Mindfang slung the weapon over her shoulder and looked over to see him reaching feebly forward; the idea that she would steal his most precious possession filled his expression with terror.  “What, this?  Oh, yes, I’m taking this.  You’ve done enough fucking damage with this ridiculous toy.  Maybe I’ll trade it towards something useful, like a new hive somewhere.  It’s the very least you could do... and I mean that quite literally.”    
  
    The red lights pulsed angrily and she became aware that she had to get out quickly lest she fall victim to her own vengeance.  As Mindfang prepared to make her exit, she took one more look at Dualscar, still slumped against the wall, and the bucket full of purple beside him.  She shook her head and said, “You know what?  You can keep this.  It’s utterly worthless.  I wouldn’t even piss in it if every gaper within a hundred clicks was broken, never mind grace it with my own essence.”  She hauled off and kicked it at Ampora, splattering its contents across him and the floor.  “Good bye, Cronus.  Do me a favour and die horribly.”   With that, she left the room, never to return.  
  
  
  
  
    Spinneret raced down the hall and hurried all the way down the staircase.  The door to her underground dock was open and she saw that her crew was anxious to make way.  As soon as she was aboard, she called out, “Emergency speed!  Get us as far away from here as possible!”  The helmsman was more than happy to carry out that order.  She remained on deck as the _Fool’s Gam8it_ pulled away at full throttle and watched...  
  
  
  
  
    There was only one member of the kitchen staff left behind, and as he watched Mindfang scurry down the stairs to her ship, he noticed that there was no sign of the admiral.  He looked to the door, then back to the staircase.   _This might be a chance to make my way up in the world,_ he thought and he decided to check to see what happened.  As he reached the hallway, the red lights flashing disoriented him but he was able to detect an open doorway at the far end.  He looked inside, and saw a mess of purple with the admiral sitting in it, moaning softly.  He rushed over and asked, “Are you all right?”  
  
    “Nnn... errgh.   _OUT._  Hhuurrrr...”  
  
    He only needed to understand one word; he scooped Dualscar up, which caused his superior to scream, but knew that he didn’t get them both out of this building quickly, they were both dead.  He managed to carry them both down the stairs with some difficulty as Dualscar’s horns kept getting snagged on the railing, but they did make it outside.  The young officer spotted a red hovercar sitting beside the door.   _Yes!  The keys are still in it!_  He placed Ampora in the passenger seat, jumped into the driver’s side and hammered the accelerator.  He didn’t dare to look back; the sound of the explosion a minute later told him all he needed to know.  He looked over at his passenger; the admiral was breathing shallowly and was covered in his own vital fluids.   _You need some serious attention,_ he thought, and he set a course for the naval base, hoping they would be able to help.  He couldn’t imagine for the life of him why someone would do such terrible things to his flag officer...


	16. Beautiful Jewel - Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindfang deals with the aftermath of recent events as best she can. Unexpected memories come to the surface, which complicate matters further.

  
** 16. **

    Even from a distance away, Mindfang could see her red hovercar suddenly leap off of the ground and make its escape from her hive.  She had a hunch who was riding in it.   It didn’t matter to her one way or the other; nothing really seemed to matter all that much to her anymore.  A moment later, her vision was filled with fire as her home detonated, reducing everything within to the same state as her red lover:  ash.  

    She turned towards her cabin, and as she did, her helm officer asked, “Er... course, Marquise?”

    “Anywhere but here.”

    “But, that...”

    “I DON’T CARE.  JUST GO.”

    The helmsman knew that if he opened his mouth again, it would likely be the last time, so he laid in a course for Base 4 on the opposite side of the ocean.  He figured that if something occurred that required a response of the magnitude that he just witnessed, anywhere but here was probably their best bet.  

 

 

     
    As soon as Spinneret secured the door to her cabin behind her, she collapsed onto her bed beside her recupracoon and shrieked into her mattress.  She howled until she thought she would pass out from lack of air and would have kept going if her body had let her.  She threw her stained jacket against the wall, heaved her sword into a corner, took the nearest chair and threw it as hard as she could with no regard to where it ended up.  Once this surge of rage had passed, Mindfang fell to the floor again, put her hands to her face and desperately wished that the same psionic repression she could create in others would work on her.   There was no place to hide from her own pain, save that offered by the recupracoon, and that was her next plan.  She tore her clothes off as quickly as she could and lunged into the sopor slime, where she knew that her dreams would still haunt her but there would be some relief from the relentless pain that savaged her heart.  
   
    As the warm fluid enveloped Spinneret ( _could I ever be Aranea again?  To anyone?_ ), she began to have visions of the memories she made with Porrim and the anguish made her stomach clench.  How she missed her sweet innocence, her sheer joy over things that she herself had taken for granted for centuries.  Mixed along with it was a tinge of anger as she recalled how Dualscar had attacked Porrim and she began to mentally kick herself about how she should have known then that he was a danger to her.   _We should have fled then... ended it with Cronus... but no, I wanted both.  Was I just as greedy as he?  Do I deserve this anguish?_  
   
    Tears rolled down her cheeks unabated.  There was no need to hide them from anyone now; no one on the ship would dare to interrupt her mourning.  She thought about the scars on Porrim’s back and how she worried that Porrim would shoo her away when she tried to treat them... her relief when she didn’t... how she was still willing to chain herself to the bed because she thought it would please her.   _How beautifully selfless she was..._  The reminder that Porrim was now past tense tore into her again and she wept.  

    Spinneret wasn’t sure what devastated her more: the thoughts that haunted her about having put Porrim through the anguish she did or the wonderful times they spent together and how they were far too short.  She begged for respite from the heartbreaking pain inside but little came.  The sopor slime began to kick in and she relaxed somewhat; her mind wandered in a direction that she didn’t expect and yet she wasn’t entirely surprised that those memories began to resurface...  

    She remembered being a young officer cadet in the Imperial Navy, so, so long ago.  She was assigned to starship officer training but her dreams were far more domestic: she wanted to sail the oceans, to command a ship.  She was told time and again that it wasn’t to be: she may have been a blueblood but it wasn’t high enough on the spectrum to be permitted.  Even though she displayed great skill in naval tactics, her insistence on being on the water landed her in such trouble to the point that she was almost drummed out.  She remembered the day she received a message that she was to report to the department office:  she figured she was either going to get what she wanted or get the boot.  When she stepped into that office, she felt a sharp poke and then saw naught but blackness...

    How Spinneret wished for that blackness now.  The parallels between her and Porrim began to surface: when she awoke, she was in a room of iron bars, and sitting in front of her was an exotic looking woman with long hair and the most captivating eyes she had ever seen.  The woman asked her how serious she was about sailing the sea, to which she replied that she wanted it more than anything in the world.  The woman said that she would teach her everything she ever needed to know... about the ocean and about everything else.  Spinneret was still a young, naive thing; this was all she’d ever wanted and she embraced the training with every fibre of her being.  Many of those lessons were from books, but in time, many of them were taught with kind hands.  
   
    Those hands, however, weren’t always kind.  Her teacher had exotic tastes and in time taught her the pleasures that come with restraint and occasionally not getting what one wants right away.  Spinneret still thought she hadn’t entirely learned that lesson, but then, she thought of Cronus and how he never learned the first thing about it.  In the months and years that followed, she became the private consort of her instructor, following her on missions here and there, learning of the sea and its ways.  She learned about what was really necessary and how to live without the pleasures in life so that she would appreciate the times when she would have them.  However, one night, after spending so many weeks without earning so much as a basic wage for her hard, hard work, she decided to help herself to one of her teacher’s treasures:  a golden earring.

  There was no point in denying it when the accusation came; she admitted it in hopes it would bring mercy.  There was little:  she was whipped numerous times until she finally offered to return it.  Only then did the punishment cease and she was told to keep it, for she had paid for it with her blood and had gained knowledge.  She remembered the nights as her teacher, her lover, filled the wounds with salve and told her that there were ways of making her beautiful again.  A stop in a port some months later had her on the tattooist’s table and the idea of the spiderwebs came to the fore.  It was then she was reminded of her lusus and began to forge her new identity.  

    One night her teacher brought her something she never thought she’d see:  a silver pail.  The passions they shared that night she would remember until her dying day; it was a memory she simply could not repress, even if she wanted to.  There were nights of wonder and nights of darkness; nights of despair when her lover would leave her alone for many moons... she would often say that she had all these places to be at once and that her focus was much greater than most.  The starships were beginning their missions of conquest and she was needed to help guide their movements.  It was tactics that they designed together that gave those captains their first battle plans and they worked well... far too well .  Her mentor became distant, much more interested in conquest and expansion of empire than in red romance.  

    When Aranea finally voiced her complaints, her teacher told her that she had come so far that there was little else she could show her.  She was given her own boat and a mandate to take whatever she saw fit, even if it was from her own fleet.   Her mentor said that the best way to keep a crew at their best was to challenge them wherever and whenever possible. Gamblignants acted as a means of “quality control” and if the Navy wasn’t able to repel them, it was their loss.  If someone could take whatever cargo they were carrying, they were more than welcome to it.  

    Spinneret came to the most devastating part; she wondered why her mind would torment her so when the most recent horror was still so fresh.  She asked her teacher, her lover, her matesprit (or so she believed) “What about you and I?”  The response was simply, “There’s no time for that anymore.  There are things that go so far beyond this that need to be dealt with.  I’ll always cherish your company and your devotion but it’s time for you to stand on your own and be who you always wanted to be.  Take what’s yours.  Be assured I'll be doing the same.  Take care, Aranea; I will be watching you, whenever I can.”

    Until Porrim spoke it, that was the last time she had heard her true name from someone else’s lips.  Aranea Serket was erased from the official records and Marquise Spinneret Mindfang became a terror on the open seas of Alternia.  And she couldn’t help but wonder if she was the last one who spoke the name Meenah Peixes, who would come to be known by many other titles, most notably The Imperial Condescence, who became a terror to the entire galaxy.  Spinneret often wondered if she ever did check up on her now and then... but that thought began to fade with the memories of Meenah as they were replaced with those of Porrim Maryam.  
   
    She knew she couldn’t stay in the recupracoon forever but she desperately wished that she were able to.  The sweetness and innocence of Porrim was such a contrast to the dark pleasures she had immersed herself in that it gave her hope for not only their race as a whole, but for herself.  Now she wondered if that hope was poorly founded; not only was the young man who had dared to suggest the Condesce’s violent society was wrong executed for saying so, but the beautiful woman who had taught him how to love others (and maybe taught her as well)  was now gone, too.  And all thanks to a bitter man who couldn’t understand the meaning of “enough”.  
   
    _Was that entirely it, though?_ she thought.   _His red feelings were genuine; maybe I didn’t take them seriously enough._  She lamented the loss of her black lover as well, but because of his actions, the sting wasn’t nearly as great.   _The odds are good the Navy will be looking for us with renewed fervour... for a while, anyway.  It doesn’t matter.  I’m not leaving this room for a long time._  
     
    Her tortured dreams brought her memories of Porrim to the forefront and she relived every moment again and again.   _A true lover in a sea of mindless hate... I honestly thought that the world could be a better place than it is. I’m not so sure now._  She considered the luck that seemed to shield her from misfortune where her occupation was concerned, but failed her miserably when affairs of the heart were involved.   _This was supposed to have been a joyous voyage, the beginning of a long and grand adventure... and now, nothing._  

    As pale blue tears softly poured down her face, she remembered something that she needed to do.  As she climbed out of the recupracoon, she paid no mind to the green fluid she tracked across the floor and picked up her long black overcoat.  From the front pocket, Spinneret extracted not only the rings she brought for them to wear, but also the earring that Porrim held onto in her absence, the same one as she herself would do when Meenah left her alone for so long.  She put the sapphire onto her own finger, and slipped the jade ring, the one she would have been wearing right now had everything actually unfolded as it should have, over one end of the gold earring.  She reached up and returned the garnet-studded earring back to whence it came, but now a beautiful jewel of jade dangled from it.  

    As she slid back into the soothing warmth of the ‘coon, she would have given anything to hold Porrim once more, but there was no one she could offer it to.  Spinneret Mindfang, the once and former Aranea Serket, was trapped in a cell of her own anguish; one that she would eventually find the strength of will to break free of one day, but that day was so far away and the ones leading up to it would be so full of torment that it would make her wonder if they were worth living through.   _At least Porrim had hope.  In her darkest days, maybe she even knew that I’d be with her again, but there’s no Porrim waiting for me outside these prison walls.  
   
    But, I have been told, there will be another… Someday…  _

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so welcome to the end of the beginning. Thank you one and all for making it this far, and for your encouragement! This marks the final chapter of the main story, but there are two more parts to come before we're done with this section of Mindfang's tale. I really wanted to give Aranea a bigger backstory; I do hope it works for you. You'll notice the appearance of someone else in this story; did you see the hints (there were at least four...)? Something a lot bigger is being set up here, and I hope you like where it ends up taking you! Stop in next week to see the Epilogue!
> 
> Thank you to the usual awesome folks. I will give you all a huge plug after the Coda, promise and swear.
> 
> The song chosen for this chapter is also very important... Soundtrack is here if you need it: [Beautiful Jewel Soundtrack](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64694493/BEAUTIFUL%20JEWEL.zip)


	17. Beautiful Jewel - Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trial takes place. A verdict is reached. A sentence is carried out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of two capstones for Beautiful Jewel. A new character has been introduced, and another one will be as well in the final act. For those of you who took part in a bit of schadenfreude where Cronus was concerned in Ch. 15, you're gonna like this.
> 
> Thanks once again to all involved behind the scenes. I will give you all a much deserved curtain call after the Coda (which I may post later this week)!

  
** EPILOGUE **

    The door slammed open.  “Kurloz Makara!”

    The figure sitting in the ornate chair slowly looked up.  “I prefer Grand Highblood.”

    “Your preferences don’t mean shit to me.  You called me here, so get talking.”

    Makara didn’t speak but stood to meet his visitor and regarded him curiously.

    A long pause.  “What?  See something interesting?  You like the size of that bulge?  Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s not quite as majestic as it looks.  Got so many damn bandages in there it’s starting to look like a fucking codpiece.”  

    The Grand Highblood gave him a creepy smile.  “Heh heh...”

    “Yeah, you would like that, wouldn’t you?  So, why did you want to see me?  Have you looked over the file I’ve sent you?”

    “I have.”

    Another extended silence.  “So... have you issued a warrant yet?  I don’t have all damn sweep you know!  My vengeance won’t wait and I need that warrant to unleash the full firepower of the fleet on her.”

    “I have not reached a verdict yet, Admiral.”

    “And why the hells NOT?”  Cronus Ampora crutched closer to Makara as quickly as he was able to.  “Do you have any idea what she’s done?”

    “I said I read the file.”

    “LOOK AT ME!  She stabbed me right in the globe and left me to die!  Now I’m gimping around like some kind of freak!  I look like a circus act!  How am I supposed to command fear and respect with a gigantic wad of gauze sticking out of my pants?”

    Makara chuckled again.

    Dualscar frowned darkly.  “I’m glad you’re enjoying this.   It’s not just the crimes she’s inflicted on my body; she’s committed grand theft of not one but two battleships, and destroyed numerous other vessels with all hands on deck!  These kinds of actions cannot be tolerated!”

    The Grand Highblood made his way down from the raised chair.  As he did so, Ampora took a glance at the wall behind his ornate seat and grimaced:  the mosaic of colour on it was off-putting enough but when one understood that it was literally a chaotic painting made of blood, it became disturbing on multiple levels.   _How stable can this guy actually be?_ he thought. _For someone who is so close to me on the hemospectrum, it worries me to think that he’s still capable of acting like a savage..._

    “Agreed.  This is unacceptable.  You are not the only one who thinks this.”

    “Well, it pleases me that I’m not alone in that regard.  So what’s left to debate?”

    “Whether or not you are fit to remain in command of the Alternian Naval Fleet.”  
   
    “I couldn’t possibly agr... wait, what?”

    Makara remained silent.

    “Did I hear you correctly?  Did you just question whether or not I should be running this fleet, hmm?”

    “I did not.”

    Dualscar tugged down on his tunic as best he could with crutches under his arms.  “Good!  I was worried you were beginning to forget your place, landdweller.”  

    “The concern comes from Her Imperial Condescence.”  

    Ampora’s eyes widened; he felt as though he were being punched in the other globe.  “WHAT?  Why would she have a problem with what I’ve done?”

    The Grand Highblood, who was an imposing figure to most because of his height and peculiar facepaint, slowly advanced on Dualscar.  “I believe you answered your own question already.”

    Dualscar wracked his brain to try and grasp what that meant.  “The ships?  How could I possibly be to blame for that?”

    “Your obsession with the Gamblignant Marquise Spinneret Mindfang has clouded your judgement.”

    Ampora winced visibly at the sound of her name; a dull ache raged in his groin, suppressed only my medications which, in his opinion, were not doing their job adequately.  “I should think that my response was more than adequate!  If someone helps themselves to a capital naval vessel, the reply should be swift and decisive, using the resources at one’s disposal!”  

    “If someone can steal a battleship, what is stopping them from stealing another?”

    “What would you know about it?” he retorted sharply.  “I don’t give a floating fuck how purple your blood is, you were still born and raised on land!  You know nothing of the affairs of the sea!”

    Makara regarded him impassively.  “Explain then how you have had two primary vessels under your command taken by someone lower than you on the blood scale.”

    “I don’t have to explain anything to you! ” Ampora spat.  “I’m not the one who is on trial here!”   Despite the pain that thudded away inside of his abdomen, he straightened his back to meet Makara’s approach.  “Besides, I was the one who was able to wrest a critical piece of information from our prisoner!  You’d think that she should be far more appreciative of that!”

    The Grand Highblood approached Dualscar and gestured to a screen on the wall:  the Imperial Datafile associated with the former prisoner known as Disciple appeared on it.  “The information which you provided was incorrect.”

    “What on Alternia are you talking about?  I heard Mindfang’s slave utter the name myself!”  

    “Look closely.”

    Ampora scanned the image and found the section labelled Full Name.  “Aranea... Serket...  I haven’t the slightest clue who that is, but that wasn’t the name that she said!”

    “Do you remember what it is?”

    “Not offhand, no!  I just plugged it in to the network as soon as I got home from... obtaining it.  Started with an M... but that’s certainly not it!”

    “The Condescence agrees.  She is familiar with Aranea Serket.  You would know her as Marquise Spinneret Mindfang.”

    Dualscar’s mouth dropped.  “What?  Then that means... how did she...”  He thought about any opportunity Mindfang would have had direct access to an Imperial computer with the kind of clearance necessary to amend a high-profile Datafile like that.   _The only time she could have done so was when... she held my datapad!  But that was before we had the name, which means... she didn’t just type in her own name into that space, she must have programmed something in to overwrite anything in that box!_

    He suddenly recalled another way he could once again obtain that information.   _She had security cameras throughout her hive,_ he thought excitedly.   _That’s how I was able to show that filthy jadeblood her foul shenanigans!  I just need someone to hack her computer core again, which... is now a smoking crater._  His head slumped forward as he realized just how completely and utterly she’d outmanoeuvred him.   _Check and mate..._

    “All the more reason to go after her!” he shouted.  “This web of lies and deceit makes her a serious hazard to anyone she has dealings with.  You simply wouldn’t believe what she’s capable of doing!  She had the temerity to stab someone like myself in a tender place without any significant reason!  All I did was wreck her furniture.  I mean, look at this!” He gestured to his obscenely padded groin.  “I look like a fool!”

    “Heh heh heh...”

    Ampora balled his fists in rage.  “What, you really think that’s funny, do you?  Sick piece of shit... do you know what’s like to go through something like this?  She was my kismesis!  She was supposed to be my damn matesprit, too, but she double-crossed her way out of that!  How could someone that is supposed be your lover, black or red, do this to you?  She’s damaged!  Mentally deranged!  She is just going to keep pillaging and destroying and this doesn’t strike you as someone who needs to not only be reined in, but swung from a rope?”

    Makara said nothing.

    “Seriously?  You can’t seem to figure out that she’s a hazard to everyone in existence?  How do you keep your job?  It would honestly amaze me if you could count your globes and come up with the same number twice.”

    The Grand Highblood smiled.  “If I were counting yours, that number may not be static.”

    Dualscar seethed.  “Now you listen to me, you fucking clown:  you give me the warrant I need to devote my entire fleet to the capture of this criminal or I swear on your weird fucking clown religion that I will do FAR worse things to you than she did to me!  I don’t give a damn if you’re the Grand Highblood; you’re still a fucking landdweller!  Do you know what that makes you?  The piece of shit on top of the shitpile!  Sure, you’re on top of the pile but at the end of the night, you’re still a piece of shit!  I AM YOUR OVERLORD!  You will do as I say or so help me, I will eviscerate you and have your innards ground into purple grubpaste!  I will eat it, I will shit it out and then I’ll use your ridiculous horns to wipe my nook!  What do you have to say about THAT?”

    Makara said nothing for a few moments; he simply stared at Ampora and blinked a few times.  After a tense pause, he said, “The Grand Highblood has reached a verdict.”

    Dualscar threw up his hands.  “Well, it’s about time!  At least you finally remembered how to perform your task!  So, do tell, what did you come up with, hmm?”

    “I find the defendant... guilty...”

    “Oh, good!  The correct answer!  Now I can finally get on with...”

    “Of being... not funny.”

    “Wait, what?”

    Ampora had no time to react as The Grand Highblood brought his verdict down onto Cronus’ skull with a large white club.  What was left of Dualscar collapsed to the floor in a bloody heap.  

 

 

 

    Makara examined his club; the bright violet blood was fresh and wet.  He walked back towards his seat and began to swing the club back and forth so that the royal hue spattered across his wall in broad streaks.  He stepped back a few paces and regarded his handiwork; he never thought that he would see the day where he’d finally be able to add this violet shade to his Holy Motherfucking Masterpiece.  He suspected the presence of such a shade would further intimidate anyone brought before him as a sign that no one whatsoever, not even a Highblood prince, would be able to escape their sentence, justly deserved or not.  

    This thought reminded him that he now needed to attend to the other part of this matter.  He sat down in his elaborate chair and began typing a message to the Condesce that her verdict was carried out according to her wishes: privately but permanently.  Eliminating Dualscar made sense to him, even more so after that last conversation, but he was initially puzzled by her request concerning the rogue Marquise.  The Condesce suggested that someone should be dispatched to try and apprehend her, but that someone should be either very new to their profession or not terribly adept at it.  Makara was no fool; he gathered that there was some relationship, likely a red one, between the Condesce and the Marquise at some point, so he selected literally the most recent graduate from the Academy of Legislaceration to assign the task to.  This Latula Pyrope had earned the title Neophyte by graduating at the top of her class (which was no surprise as only one person ever graduated from a class, and did so by surviving) and had taken the name Redglare as she wore striking ruby-tinted glasses.  
   
    It mattered not to him.  The odds were quite good Redglare would have no chance of bringing the Marquise before him or any other Tyranny.   If someone as capable as Admiral Ampora wasn’t able to do it, there was little chance that she could which, he supposed, was the point.  As he pondered this, he revisited Dualscar’s remains and proceeded to smash his club into the corpse again in order to add more of the violet blood first to it and then to the wall again.   _It would be a motherfuckin’ crime to let this go to waste,_ he thought.   _It is rather valuable, after all..._  



	18. Beautiful Jewel - Coda (and Soundtrack Notes)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A gift is delivered. An offer is made that may have far-reaching implications.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This, Dear Readers, marks the end of this story. All I can say is THANK YOU for taking the time to read it! This has been quite an adventure, for our characters and for myself as well. I'd never written anything of this magnitude before, and if you'd asked me about a year ago if I ever planned to write Homestuck Fanfic, much less one that was over 80,000 words, I would've looked at you funny. I just wasn't sure that I could contribute anything interesting. Hopefully you found it at least that. Now, two and a half books in, I still can't believe this one's done and that other HS fans have read it. I honestly can't thank you enough.
> 
> People that I also can't thank enough:
> 
> My wife, Lynnai, for being the inspiration behind this story by bringing home some book that many other women did. I told her I could do better with a crayon and a concussion, and she said, "Prove it!" Whether or not I was successful is up to you and how you feel about "Fifty Shades", but here it is. I also thank her IMMENSELY for this lovely artwork: [Beautiful Jewel Cover Art](http://drhicks76.deviantart.com/art/Beautiful-Jewel-Fanfic-Cover-Art-337996109). Her Mindfang is just gorgeous; I think she's proudest of this one than all the other HS art she's done. She's also my "first reader" and provided invaluable input about what was going on with these two, especially about what went down in the critical scene between Porrim and Cronus. Her honesty was appreciated and getting to see her reactions was quite useful. While she didn't find it as "hot" as the "other" book, she enjoyed it very much and that makes me happy.
> 
> My very first piece of fanart for the story came from Lorilyn; she's much more active on Tumblr: [Kudufawks](kudufawks.tumblr.com). She's a wonderful person and an artist who has developed so much since I've known her. So many of the things everybody on Tumblr knows, like TTGL and Madoka, I learned from her. Follow her there; you'll be glad you did. She also showed me that HS fanfic could be good!
> 
> One of my first readers, Lindsay, I met here on dA and she's been on board for a long time. One of the first people other than Lynnai to read the story, she provided all kinds of encouragement, especially where the music was concerned - she was the first person I knew who made Fan Soundtracks and she's good at it! Her art has grown by leaps and bounds. Check her out on Tumblr at [Shapeshifting Mudblood Filth](aparticularlygoodfinder.tumblr.com). She's an absolute dynamo.
> 
> The relish that Christie dug into this tale with was stunning. I've been following her art for some time, and I can say that she's really hitting her stride now. An absolute character; she's working on art for "Condemnation" as I type this! She's on Tumblr, too, but dA is where to be when it comes to her: [Aerococonut](aerococonut.deviantart.com)
> 
> My deepest thanks belong to someone I met here on dA: my editor, Michaela. When I started to consider sharing this story with the fandom, I decided to read a few others first. While her writing isn't as...er... racy as mine, I found it very, very good and I took a HUGE chance and asked her if she'd be willing to give mine a read. My life hasn't been quite the same since. Her insight and knowledge of writing style and skill was just the boot in the ass I needed to tighten some things up, and I have become a better writer for it. I ask her to take a bow here for this story would not be ANYWHERE near as good as it is without her time and efforts. Please check out her writing, either on dA, on Tumblr, [](mercale.tumblr.com) or here on Ao3: [Mercale](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercale/pseuds/Mercale) She's also a gifted voice actor and her writing, both long and short fic, are more than worth your time and attention. Please give her "Lives Under the Pink Moon" series a spin if you haven't already!
> 
> To anyone who took the time to read this tale, I thank you more than you will ever know. I was genuinely scared shitless about sharing this, and I must say, I've never been scared to share my writing before, but the sexually charged elements aren't something that are to everyone's tastes, so I'm hoping you either 1) enjoyed that or 2) didn't find it took away from the tale. "Condemnation" will have it's share of this, but like this one, The Story is what matters. I hope you come along for the ride. It will be starting soon!
> 
> If you'd like to re-read the story with the Soundtrack, you can download it here: [Beautiful Jewel Soundtrack](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64694493/BEAUTIFUL%20JEWEL.zip) If you scroll past the end of the story, there is a description of the songs I chose and why I chose them for those scenes. I wanted to put it in the End Notes but it wouldn't fit! Hope you found something interesting musically here at least!
> 
> See you in about a week for Chapter 0 of "Condemnation"!

  
** CODA **

    As the green moon rose, she sniffed the air and noticed that something was amiss.

    She peered out into the darkness and as the pale green light began to illuminate the grass in front of her cave, she could see the square shape of the object sitting a few paces away.  Cautiously, she made her way forward, ready to lunge aside if it proved to be dangerous, but as far as she could tell, it was inert.  She withdrew momentarily as she considered its origins.  Had someone finally found her?  Were there soldiers on the hilltops waiting to shoot her dead the moment she laid a finger on this object?  No... she would have heard them coming a mile away, tasted them on the air.  Still, someone did get right up to her cave without her detecting them, and that worried her greatly.  

    More moonlight gave her a better view of the surrounding landscape:  there were no shadows that weren’t supposed to be there.  She softly slipped out from the cave again and approached the object.  It appeared to be a box of some sort.  There were two letters written on it; she took a moment to recall what they were for as she hadn’t thought about what those particular ones meant in some time:  M.L.

    She grabbed the package and retreated to her cave.  Once deep inside, she activated the small glowsphere she had and studied the box.  It didn’t appear out of the ordinary and it felt rather light.  She sniffed at it; there was a scent of the sea on it, rather salty, and yet, something strangely familiar to it as well.  

    She prodded it.  There were no explosions, so she decided to open it.  What she found inside made her gasp audibly and tears suddenly came to her eyes:  underneath a blue piece of paper, she saw a folded black and jade green dress that she thought she would never see again.  She pulled it from the box, clutched it to her chest and started sobbing.  
   
    When the sadness waned somewhat, she put it up to the light and found that it was as beautiful as she remembered.  Its presence here simply confirmed what she had feared and green tears rolled down her face once again.  She looked over to the corner of her small home and saw the grey leggings, her greatest treasure, resting there and she knew that this belonged with them.  She rose, carried the lovely handmade garment over to the leggings and set it down beside them.  The sight of these two pieces of clothing together overcame her with emotion and she sank to her knees as long faded memories flooded back into her mind.  

    It took her some time to compose herself enough to even look at the blue paper that accompanied the dress.  She wiped the tears away as best she could and then picked up the paper.  The writing was clear and the script was quite beautiful; she was amazed by what it had to say...

 

_M.L.,_

_I know who you are and where you are, but rest assured that I will never tell anyone.  Your secret is quite safe with me.  I have been searching for you for quite some time, not to harass you or put you in any danger, but because I wanted you to have this dress.  I became very close to the woman who wore it, and she told me many tales about you and your friends, but most particularly about one very special one: he who was her adopted child and your matesprit.  You may be interested to know that this beautiful woman became as dear to me as the Signless was to you, and our love was ended in a similarly horrible manner thanks to the pointless hate and jealousy of others._

_It has taken me many moons to be able to face the world again; I suspect you never may, and in many ways, I envy your solitude.  However, I want you to know that I have heard his message, and I will try to bring it to those who need something to believe in during these sad and violent times.  His death, and that of the one you knew as Dolorosa, or perhaps as Porrim Maryam, will not have been in vain if that message carries on, and so I will must do just that.  I hope you find peace in time and that, maybe someday, you and I could stand shoulder to shoulder against this awful regime and fight back where others chose to stand still._

_In some other place and time, you and I might have been friends; perhaps that day is yet to come.  You loved her as a mother and I loved her as a mate; please accept this dress as a token of that shared kinship.  I have something equally special that she created for me and so this belongs to you now.  May it bring you some closure and rekindle fond memories._

_Sincerely,  
         Marquise Spinneret Mindfang_

_P.S. – Should anyone ever find you that you need help getting rid of, there is a small disc in this box.  Press the button in the middle once and I will send any help I can._  

     
    She read and re-read the note many times, hoping that she comprehended its message.  She looked over to the dress again, thought of the woman who used to wear it, and understood that the world was still a dark and dangerous place.  Once she had the box in hand, she shook it around until a small metal button came loose.  She took it and pinned it to her collar; if it ever came to that, she would use it, but she hoped that she would be left alone for the rest of her days.  After all, there was much left to write...  

    She sat down in front of a cave wall, grabbed her glowsphere, and continued her work:  drawings of her and the Signless covered every available space, and verse after verse of his words and ideas were scrawled underneath them in the paint made from the blood of her kills.  She wore the skins of those animals she’d taken overtop of her black and green dress for warmth as the sphere provided little heat.  She took a moment to look at her handmade dress and thought of the day it was given to her by the Signless’s mother.  She had never received such a gift and she swore that she would never forget the kindness that went into making it.

    Alongside the pictures of her and her matesprit were paintings of Dolorosa and the brilliant man called Psiionic.  She had etched a diamond shape between them, and could never quite figure out why it hadn’t blossomed into something redder.  She dipped her fingers into the paint and drew another image of Dolorosa, along with a heart shape.  Beside it, she drew the symbol written beside the name signed to the bottom of the paper.  Maybe someday she would meet the person it represented:  a person who knew the name Meulin Leijon but chose to keep it to herself.   _Someone who understands the importance of names in dark times like these,_ she thought.  

    She reached over to rest a hand on Porrim’s dress, closed her eyes and thought of the kind woman who once wore it proudly.   _If you could find someone to love out there, maybe there’s still hope for us all..._  


_************************  
_

  
_  
_ **SOUNDTRACK NOTES**   


 

If you're one of the folks who downloaded and listened to the soundtrack I assembled for Beautiful Jewel, this is a description of each song I used, where it belongs and why it's there. If you like that sort of thing... well, here you go! Let me know what you enjoyed most, or if you found something you particularly enjoyed and why!

 

  
00 - STORY THEME \- Depeche Mode - "In Your Room" - one of my wife's favourite songs by her favourite band.  This one grew on me big time, and is the "theme" (opening credits?) song for the whole story.  Take the lyrics from Porrim's perspective.  We are in the process of covering this song, with Lynnai doing the vocals.  I'm just wrestling with the drum sounds right now.

01 - DOLOROSA INTRO \- Eddi Reader - "Nobody Lives Without Love" - I got this from the "Batman Forever" soundtrack.  These first three songs are meant to introduce how I'm going to play the characters in the story.  Porrim is someone who has been through something awful and now finds herself entering a romantic relationship at the most surprising time ("I'm standing here offering a stranger my heart...").  The mood and the music just fit her wonderfully.  This gal is almost my headcanon voice for Porrim, mind the overtly Celtic way she says "heart"...

02 - MINDFANG INTRO \- Portishead - "All Mine" - Just screams Domme and the perspective of someone who will NOT be denied who and what they want.  Sultry and sexy; fits Mindfang to perfection.

03 - DUALSCAR INTRO \- Them Crooked Vultures - "Caligulove" - Again, unbridled "id" at the fore of this one, and also someone who's asking for some kinky domination ("hold me real close/clap me in irons") and is used to running the show in his own dark but unfettered way ("Darling, there are no taboos in lust/my veins course blood that's just venomous") , yet hides his own self-hate and his savage jealousy lurks just below the surface.  ("My jealous sensitive tongue is just/a tyrant who enslaves all those around him/to make certain he remains hurt always")

04 - CH.1 \- Sarah McLaughin - "Possession" - This is a Canadian tune.  From Mindfang to Porrim, about her hopes of taking her from more than just a literal possession to a red lover.

05 - CH. 2 \- Ladytron - "Versus" - the best kismesis song I know of.  The female vocalist you hear here is my headcanon voice for Vriska/Aranea after hearing their song "Ghosts", which has the most Vriska-esque sentiment ever put to music, "There's a ghost in me/Who wants to say I'm sorry/Doesn't mean I'm sorry".  Anyway, I think this is a great fit for these two.

06 - CH. 3 \- The Art of Noise - "Crusoe" (LFO Remix) - The Art of Noise are one of my earliest musical influences.  This song is just sexy as hell, but as you can hear near the end, it becomes unbalanced and discordant, which I think represents how things go for Mindfang once she takes it a step too far and starts gripping Porrim's wrists a little too hard...

07 - CH. 4 \- Spookey Ruben - "Cat and Mouse" - Spookey is a German-Canadian indie artist who can do pop and prog with equal aplomb.  This song also screams kismessitude to me.

08 - CH. 5 \- Garbage - "Sleep Together" - The song to play when fucks are finally given.  Is this what's going through Mindfang's thinkpan?  "And if we sleep together/Would you like me better?"  Shirley Manson's voice conveys the subtle and the aggressive so wonderfully.

09 - CH. 6 \- Dead Can Dance - "Cantara" - I thought the rhythm of this would convey both Porrim's confusion and pining at the same time, while it also fits what Mindfang ends up doing on the couch quite nicely as well.  Note: I wanted to add The Art of Noise's "Legacy" to this (still might) for the "couch scene" (it was the music I had in mind when I wrote about the beat that's heard) but I fear the song might be too... odd for the average listener.  It's again something I grew up with and hold close to the chest.  If you're curious, give it a spin!  <a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TYZk8IZlpg>The Art of Noise - Legacy</a>

10 - CH. 7 \- Jakalope - "Screecher" - Although my friend Lindsay featured "Caligulove" for her drawing once she heard it, this is the song that would fit that scene far better.  Mindfang's fed up with Cronus' advances and lets him know in no uncertain terms "I DON'T WANT YOU THAT WAY!"  The slow build into the cacophony suits this well.  Jakalope is also a short lived Canadian outfit.

11 - CH. 7 \- U2 - "Bass Trap" - I think U2's best songs are the ones that aren't well known.  This little instrumental was produced by Brian Eno (who appears again shortly), who is known for his "atmospheric" pieces, great for soundtracks!  I think it fits Mindfang's tending to Porrim after Dualscar's attack and their lovemaking after.

12 - CH. 8 \- Pet Shop Boys - "Can You Forgive Her?" - So, yeah, it's Cronus feeling rejected but trying to come to terms with it by planning revenge; even though he knows such things are "childish", he decides to proceed down that road anyway.  My friend Christie was inspired by this song for fanart...

13 - CH. 9 \- Depeche Mode - "Come Back" - DM gets a LOT of use in this story and the next two.  The themes they tend to sing about fit this incarnation of Aranea Serket like none other (in fact, listening to Depeche Mode's new album, "Delta Machine", as I type this).  That being said, this is for Porrim by herself in her room, wishing for Aranea's return, but understanding there's a lot more going on in their relationship ("walking a thin white line/between love and hate").  And then there's always "I could use a little 'restraint'/A little kindness can go a long way..."

14 - CH. 10 \- Silverchair - "Abuse Me" - Dualscar likes the abuse Mindfang heaps on him to a fair degree and almost hungers for more.  This one has all kinds of nautical themes, too.

15 - CH. 10 \- City and Colour - "Little Hell" - This is what's going through Aranea's mind as she realizes she needs to fill Porrim in on what's going on.  The lyrics fit this beautifully (more nauticaul goodies), and "There's a degree of difficulty in dealing with me..."  ("If we could just hang a mirror on the bedroom wall" was a complete fluke).  This guy, Dallas Green, is a popular Canadian singer right now.

16 - CH. 11 - Adam Lambert - "Underneath" - Heartwrenching piece for Mindfang's confession.  Fits on every level. When I started writing this story, I knew that this song would be in this scene.  If I could borrow someone's voice, I would pick between Roy Orbison, Steve Perry (formerly of Journey) and Adam Lambert; all three have incredible range and power and do it so effortlessly.

17 - CH. 11 \- Brian Eno - "Always Returning" - Inspires Porrim's line of "As long as you are always returning to me..." Another ethereal love song.

18 - CH. 11 \- Moby - "Inside" - The song that made me decide to write this.  The first time I actually put fingers to keyboard to type out the story, this is the one that put me in "The Mood".  Originally this was going to be a quick one-off, but a few pages in, I decided to make it an actually STORY instead of just a piece of porn.  That being said, this belongs with what is, arguably, the sexiest scene in the story.  LOVE this tune.

19 - CH. 12 \- Vin di Cola - "More Luck Than You Imagine" - Mock me if you will, but this comes from one of my favourite all time soundtracks, that belonging to the 1986 animated Transformers: The Movie.  I'd always listen to this soundtrack before big exams or hockey games.  Anyway, the incidental music is by one fellow, and this works nicely to illustrate how dark Dualscar's plans are becoming.

20 - CH. 13 \- George Michael - "The Strangest Thing" - This is Porrim's perspective as she's coming to terms with the idea that Mindfang is not necessarily a completely "good" person.  "There's a liar in my bed/There's a thief upon my bed/And the strangest thing is that I cannot seem to get my eyes open"

21 - CH. 13 \- Kate Bush - "Somewhere In Between" - I kind of wrote this scene TO this song (I always pictured them on a hilltop making out as the sun rises after Aranea proposes matespritship, but it evolved somewhat).  The line "Goodnight, sun!" works for Alternians, too!

22 - CH. 13 \- Mysia - "Hairless Heart" (Genesis cover) - I'm a big Genesis fan, for what it's worth.  This instrumental was going to be for their final time together pretty much from the get-go.  It's sweet and bittersweet.

23 - CH. 14 \- Phil Collins - "Do You Know, Do You Care?" - This scene was actually DELETED from the story, but represents what is going through Dualscar's head as he approaches Mindfang's hive with revenge on his mind.  It was just so perfect for his headspace that it had to stay.  Probably my favourite Phil Collins vocal, even more vicious than the well-known "In The Air Tonight".

24 - CH. 14 \- Gayngs - "Cry" - a cover of the 80's hit by Godley & Creme.  Here's something you may find interesting: my original plan for the story was to have Mindfang only reveal that she was capable of mental/emotional manipul8ion, but for Dualscar to show her that Mindfang DID use her, and this revelation tears her apart before Cronus does so.  This makes the song's lyrics more poignant ("You cheat, you lie, you make me want to cry"), but the lyrics are now shared between both Cronus and Porrim.  I changed this as I needed a reason for Cronus to break down (his plan falls completely apart) and because I wanted Aranea to be redeemable and likeable.

25 - CH. 15 \- Radiohead - "How To Disappear Completely" - One of the most sad and emotionally devastating pieces of music I know of.  I can just imagine the feeling of "I'm not here, this isn't happening" going through her head while Cronus preens and berates her, and her furious response still works here in its Tarantino-esque incongruity of having such a lush, string-laden piece as the music for such a violent act of vengeance.

26 - CH. 16 \- MiG Ayesa - "Wrapped Around Your Finger" - Look!  An Australian!  I think he ended up being more of a stage performer, but I enjoyed his cover of this.  However, it was my second choice: I was hoping to find a good, clean version of Tori Amos doing this, but all the live versions have audience interaction that ruins the feeling.  This cover still brings softer, sadder feel than the original (which I absolutely love, but doesn't feel quite right for what I'm up to here).  Think of this from Aranea's recollection of her time with Meenah... maybe a touch of foreshadowing to come?

27 - END CREDITS \- Alice in Chains - "Private Hell" - I had to find a place in here for this somewhere.  Lyrics and melancholy feel make for a great "ending" song.  "Damn it all the blood you spill/turns the grass more green/life is short"  "I excuse myself, I'm used to my little cell/I amuse myself in my very own private hell"  Are you kidding me?  PERFECT.  Goes back and forth between them; Aranea is in her own private hell by the end...

28 - Epilogue \- IQ - "Born Brilliant" - a British Prog act that is my #3 band all time behind Rush and Genesis.  This was one of the first songs I heard by them and one that made them a favourite.  This is just unabashed self-loathing villainy, which is what Cronus has all but descended to by this point.  The Mellotron choir at the end I think suits Dualscar's end as well...

29 - Coda \- Black Sabbath - "Solitude" - I'd never have believed unless I read it that this is Ozzy Osbourne singing this beautiful tune.  I also enjoy the "leslie" effect on the piano (usually something associated with organs, but Sabbath would run voices and other things through it - I replicated it as best I could in my cover, which should be done soon).  As for the song, the lyrics and mood fit the sad and lonely Disciple beautifully.  

 I hope this shows you the amount of thought I put into creating the music for this story and that you choose to read it with these songs playing in the right places.  The soundtrack for "Condemnation" is ready as well and will be released with the first chapter.  Hope you enjoy it!  

**Author's Note:**

> Here's some art that some wonderful people have submitted for this chapter! 
> 
> The first comes from my friend Lorilyn (kudufawks on Tumblr), called "See Something Interesting?" [link](http://kudufawks.tumblr.com/post/28824604490/see-something-interesting-asked-mindfang)
> 
> Also, this is Trina's view of this opening chapter: [link](http://honkmetalno-cakes.tumblr.com/post/52362438799/fan-art-from-a-fanfiction-called-beautiful-jewel)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Glimmer of Jade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/639801) by [Mercale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercale/pseuds/Mercale)




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